Unwritten
by Black Pichu
Summary: Ten-year-old Celeste sets off on her journey through the Kanto region. Throughout her travels, she experiences encounters with unfamiliar Pokemon, rivals, the villainous Team Rocket, and newly found romance. (OC story)
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own any part of the Pokemon franchise and never will. This is a story I just wrote for fun because I'm a fan of Pokemon.**

**Also, I used some Bulbapedia articles and some pages on Serebii for reference while writing this.**

**I also don't own the song "Unwritten" by Natasha Bedingfield, which was the inspiration for the title of this story.**

**However, I do own this story and most of the characters. ****_No stealing!_**

**_Note: Before posting it here, I did have this posted on a page on Neopets. I did not steal this story; the one who posted it on there was me. I promise; please don't accuse me of stealing this story._**

**EDIT (6/23/13): Fixed a couple errors that I noticed.**

**Now that that's out of the way, please enjoy! :)**

* * *

**Chapter 1 - The Journey Begins! Farewell, Pallet Town!**

_Beep... Beep... Beep..._

Ten-year-old Celeste groaned as her alarm clock woke her from her deep, peaceful slumber. She rolled over onto her stomach, pulling her covers and pillow over her head in an attempt to drown out the irritating sound.

"What is that _horrible_ sound...?" she mumbled, her voice muffled.

After a minute, as her senses awakened slowly, she reached out toward her alarm clock on her nightstand, feeling for the snooze button with her fist. She finally struck it after about seven misses; the _beep_s stopped. Her arm dropped limply down the side of her bed.

Through the thickness of the covers and pillow, Celeste heard her bedroom door creak open.

"_Celeste_!" her mother, Samantha, exclaimed. "Wake _up_!"

"I don't want to..."

"Really?" Samantha smirked, folding her arms across her chest. "Then I guess you don't want to go on your Pokemon journey then, do you?"

Celeste leaped out from under the covers, suddenly wide awake. "_That's today_?!"

Samantha laughed. "Yes, it is. Now get ready. You don't want to be late to get your first Pokemon!" She exited the room, shutting the door behind her.

Celeste's aquamarine eyes glanced over to her alarm clock. It was six o'clock. She sighed. _Plenty of time,_ she thought, relaxing herself. _Starter Pokemon won't be given out until seven._

She observed her appearance in her full-length mirror. Her dirty blonde hair was a Rattata's nest, frizzing and standing up in every direction imaginable; and the black T-shirt and gray shorts that she always wore to bed were wrinkled and twisted awkwardly. It was obvious that she had just rolled out of bed.

Celeste approached her closet, flinging the door open and observing the clothes that were stored within it. She carefully picked out the items that she thought matched. Once she made her decision, she threw off her sleepwear and changed into the clothing chosen.

She examined her apparel in the mirror. She donned a blue tank top; a black crop vest; black, blue, and white stiped wristbands; a black denim miniskirt; blue and white striped knee socks; and black sneakers.

Celeste smiled. "Perfect!" She looked at her reflection from head to toe, then back up; her aquamarine eyes stopped at her messy, dirty blonde hair. She sighed.

"But still gotta fix _that_..."

She grabbed her hairbrush from the top of her dresser and raked it through the mess of tangles and frizz atop her head. It was painful and time-consuming, but she managed to straighten it out to where it fell neatly to her shoulders in shaggy layers.

With a satisfied sigh, Celeste set her hairbrush back down on top of her dresser. She studied herself in the mirror one last time, her lips curling into a frown.

"Something's missing," she muttered, "but what...?" Her eyes focused on the top of her head in the mirror; when it struck her, it was as if a light bulb flicked on in her head. "Oh, right!" She darted to her dresser, pulling out the top drawer and rummaging through its contents. She yanked out a black beanie with blue stitching and slipped it on over her dirty blonde hair.

"_Now_ it's perfect!" she told herself.

* * *

Celeste pranced down the stairs, humming happily to herself as she entered the kitchen. "Hi, Mom! I'm ready to leave now—"

"Did you pack your things?" Samantha asked, eying her daughter warily.

Celeste froze. "No..." she groaned, and then turned on her heel and headed back upstairs.

* * *

Ten minutes later, Celeste returned, a black denim backpack slung over her shoulder. "Okay, Mom, I've packed everything now. Can I—"

"Really?" Samantha took a quick sip from her coffee mug. "Did you pack your pajamas?"

"Yes."

"Toothbrush and toothpaste?"

"Yes."

"Hairbrush?"

"Check."

"Money?"

Celeste paused for a second, thinking over whether she put PokeDollars in her backpack. "Yeah. Check."

"Notebook? Pencil?"

"Check, and _check_."

"Pencil _sharpener_?" Samantha smirked and raised an eyebrow.

Celeste laughed. "Of course, Mom! What kind of a traveling writer forgets to pack a pencil sharpener?"

Samantha chuckled and shrugged. "Well, you never know. There may be _somebody_ who forgets something like that..."

"So you think I'm ready to go now?" Celeste asked hopefully.

Her mother nodded. "Yes, I believe you are." She gave Celeste a sincere look. "But remember to be careful out there, Celeste. Not all of the Kanto region is as peaceful as Pallet Town..."

"I know, Mom." Celeste smiled. "Don't worry, though. I'm ten years old now. I'll be fine!"

Samantha beamed as well. "I know you will be, honey. You're a tough girl, and... I know you can get through anything."

"Thanks, Mom..."

They embraced, kissing each other on the cheek before Celeste darted for the door.

"Bye!" Celeste shouted.

"Bye, Celeste! Good luck!"

* * *

Professor Oak's laboratory, which was where the Pokemon for new Trainers were being given out, wasn't very far away from Celeste's house, and she still had about twenty minutes until she had to be there; she decided that there was no need for her to rush.

She walked at a steady pace down the dirt roads of her small hometown of Pallet Town, admiring the scenery that surrounded her. The sun peeked out from behind the many white cumulus clouds that stretched across the turquoise sky. It was early autumn, so there was a brisk breeze, but the air was still warm. Young children laughed and played outside the houses that she passed by.

Celeste smiled slightly to herself. It was the perfect day for her to begin traveling the Kanto region.

A large building began to loom over the horizon as she traveled further.

_That must be Professor Oak's lab!_ she thought.

Her pace picked up into an excited run. As she approached the building, she noticed that there were two people standing outside. She recognized one of them as Alicia.

Celeste had known Alicia since they were five years old, and they always had a fierce rivalry. Alicia always aimed to do everything better than Celeste, and even seemed to be trying to make her life miserable in the process. Celeste tried her best to ignore these antics; considering Alicia constantly taunted her for it, it was very difficult. For her journey, Alicia wore a white headband in her curly auburn hair that reached two inches above her shoulders; a pink, short-sleeved shirt with white flower patterns; white capri shorts; and pink and white high tops. A black backpack decorated with blue, pink, green, and white flower patterns hung on her back, appearing to be packed full of her belongings.

A thin, elderly man stood with Alicia. He had short, powder gray hair that was spiked on top; coal black eyes; and tan skin. He donned a dark red collared shirt, a white lab coat that reached his knees, tan pants, and brown loafers. He had a very kind smile on his wrinkled face as he spoke to Alicia, who stared at him with uninterested eyes.

Celeste darted up to them, panting slightly. "Hi..." she greeted between deep breaths.

The man looked at her and grinned. "Why, hello!" he said. "You must be Celeste, one of the new Trainers I'm supposed to meet today!"

"Yeah, that's me!" Celeste said with a nervous chuckle.

"Well, I'm Professor Oak," he introduced. "And you know Alicia, correct? She's a new Trainer as well."

Alicia scowled at Celeste. "Yeah, we know each other..."

"Well, that's good!" Professor Oak turned, taking the doorknob of his research lab in his hand and opening the door. "How about we go inside so you can get your starter Pokemon?" He entered the building.

Celeste walked up to the door, but before she could go inside, Alicia slammed against her.

"Ladies first!" she said, leering at Celeste as she walked into the lab.

Celeste snarled at her childhood rival's back as she followed her inside.

The inside of the lab was large and filled with complex machines and computers that the professor's lab assistants worked at with deep interest and concentration. Professor Oak led the girls to the back of the room, where there was a table with three balls set on top. The top half of the balls were red while the bottom half were white; a black line divided the parts through the center. A white button was halfway through that line.

"Here are the Pokemon you can choose from," Professor Oak said. He grabbed one of the balls, presenting it to Celeste and Alicia. "This is a Poke Ball. It's a special device that you can store Pokemon in."

"How do they fit in there...?" Celeste asked in awe.

Alicia rolled her cerulean eyes. "You're so stupid," she whispered.

Professor Oak chuckled. "We're still trying to figure that out," he stated.

He tossed the Poke Ball into the air. It burst open, releasing a white light. The light struck the floor and formed a shape. It then vanished, a Pokemon in its place. The Pokemon seemed to resemble a small dinosaur, and was teal in color with darker, triangular-shaped spots on its body. Small, white claws grew from his feet; a large, green bulb was on his back. His large eyes were a ruby red, yet they still appeared innocent.

"_Bulba!_" the Pokemon cried cheerfully.

"This is a Bulbasaur," Professor Oak explained. "He's a Grass- and Poison-type Pokemon."

"Awww!" Celeste cooed, her aquamarine eyes sparkling.

"Gross..." Alicia muttered.

Professor Oak took another Poke Ball and hurled it. The white beam of light erupted from it, touching the floor and shaping into the form of the Pokemon. The light faded, revealing an orange Pokemon that resembled a salamander. He had a cream-colored underside, and a small flame burned at the tip of his long tail. He had small, white claws on his feet, just like Bulbasaur; white fangs also poked out slightly from his mouth. His big, sapphire eyes were set in a permanent glare.

"_Awwwww_!" Celeste's eyes shimmered even more. "This one's so cute, too!"

Alicia grimaced. "Ew..."

"This is Charmander," Professor Oak said. "He's a Fire-type Pokemon."

Charmander scowled, folding his small, orange arms across his chest. "_Charrr..._"

Professor Oak beamed, then picked up the third Poke Ball. "And here's the last Pokemon..."

"Is it as cute as these two?" Celeste questioned.

The professor laughed. "Well, I think she is!"

He tossed the ball. It popped open, and a white ray was released. It struck the floor, shifting into the Pokemon's form; then it disappeared. A light blue turtle about the same size as Bulbasaur and Charmander was in its place. Her shell was cream on the bottom and brown on top, a white stripe separating the two colors. A long, curled tail extended from the rear of the shell. The Pokemon gazed up at Alicia with large, fuchsia eyes.

"_Squirt, Squirtle!_" she cried.

"And this," Professor Oak stated, "is a Squirtle. She's a Water-type."

"Oh, my gosh!" Celeste squealed, crouching down in front of Squirtle. "They're all so cute. How can I decide...?" She extended her hand toward the Tiny Turtle Pokemon, carefully stroking the top of her smooth, light blue head.

Squirtle growled at the contact; she reached up and chomped down on Celeste's index finger.

"_Ow_!" She drew her hand away swiftly.

"Squirtle!" Professor Oak scolded.

Alicia cracked up laughing. "Oh, my _gosh_! I love this one!"

Squirtle grinned, prancing over to Alicia and embracing her legs. "_Squirt!_"

Professor Oak chuckled. "She seems to like you, too. Would you like her to be your first Pokemon?"

"Yeah!" Alicia reached down, lifting Squirtle into her arms and cradling her like a young child. She smirked at Celeste. "And she's _so_ much cuter than the other two."

"_Saur..._" Bulbasaur moaned, sulking.

Charmander shot Alicia a death glare. He opened his mouth wide and fired several balls of fire at Alicia; she screeched as the flames scorched her head.

"_Charmander_!" Professor Oak shouted. He sighed, shaking his head. "I'm sorry, these Pokemon don't usually act like this..."

Celeste giggled. "It's okay!" She grinned at Charmander. "You don't know how long I've wanted to do something like that to her," she muttered.

Charmander snickered.

Alicia glowered at them, coughing out smoke and scraping ash from her pale skin.

"So, Celeste, have you made your decision on your first Pokemon yet?" the professor asked.

"Yeah, I have." Celeste smiled at the Lizard Pokemon. "I choose Charmander!"

Professor Oak beamed. "Excellent choice!" He pointed one of the Poke Balls at Bulbasaur. "Bulbasaur, return."

A red beam shot out from the button in the center of the ball and touched the pouting Seed Pokemon. The light engulfed him, sucking him back inside the ball.

_Poor Bulbasaur,_ Celeste thought.

"Now, before you two leave, there are a few things I need to give you." Professor Oak handed the two Poke Balls to the girls, one to Celeste and one to Alicia. "These are your Pokemon's Poke Balls to keep them in. And you'll also need these..." He reached inside the pocket of his lab coat, taking out ten Poke Balls. "These Poke Balls are empty, but you can use them to capture Pokemon from the wild." He gave five Poke Balls to each of the girls.

"We're only allowed to own six Pokemon?" Alicia asked, one eyebrow raised in disbelief.

"Well, you can only carry six Pokemon with you at a time; that's why I'm only giving you five for now to start out with. You can buy more Poke Balls at Poke Marts, and you can also own more Pokemon, which you can send to me from a Pokemon Center."

"Cool!" Celeste said, stuffing the five Poke Balls into her backpack.

"And here's one last thing before you leave," the professor continued. He sauntered to a table at the back of the room, where two compact, red machines sat; he carefully took hold of them in his hands, then turned to the girls. "These are Pokedexes. They're devices that I invented for Trainers to use." He handed one of the devices to Celeste, and the other to Alicia.

"_Whoa_," Alicia murmured in awe, flicking the lid up and down as she examined it.

"Cool..." Celeste whispered. "How do you use it?"

"All you have to do is point it at the Pokemon you want to know about and open the lid. It will scan the Pokemon and tell you its name, species, and other facts about it. It will also tell you the moves of the Pokemon you have captured."

"That's awesome!" Alicia said, sliding the Pokedex into her backpack.

"It is." Celeste also placed the machine carefully in her bag.

Professor Oak smiled. "Thank you! Now that's all you need for your journey, so you're ready to explore the Kanto region!"

Celeste grinned, her aquamarine eyes lighting up. "That's great! Thanks, Professor Oak!"

"Thanks," Alicia said.

"You're welcome, girls! Remember to be careful on your journey, and good luck!"

* * *

Standing by the outskirts of Pallet Town, Celeste inhaled the scent of fresh grass and wild Pokemon. It was the scent of the world that she about to enter for the first time...

She sighed with content, turning her head to face her small hometown.

"So long, Pallet Town," she whispered, the words reflecting her bittersweet feeling. She was joyful and excited to finally travel the region of Kanto, but it saddened her that she had to leave the town that she grew to love behind.

With another sigh, she whirled around to face the first route, the path that started her out on her journey.

She sauntered out of town, beginning her adventure for the first time.

* * *

_The first route is much longer than it seems..._ Celeste thought after a couple minutes of venturing north, trudging through tall grass and climbing over ledges.

However, she didn't feel like she was getting closer to the next city.

"Hey!"

Celeste froze at the sound of the familiar voice that rang out from behind her; she whirled around to face the source.

Alicia stood a couple yards away, eyebrows furrowed together, hands placed firmly on her hips, a wide smirk spread across her face, trying too hard to appear confident.

"Oh, hey, Alicia," Celeste said. "What's—"

"I want to battle," Alicia announced.

The statement caught Celeste off-guard. "H-huh?"

"I want to _battle_," her rival repeated, drawling out the words. "Against you. Right here, right now."

_**To be continued...**_

* * *

**A/N: I don't have much to say. Thanks for reading! Please review! :)**

**~Hayley (Black Pichu)**

_**Note: Please refer to the notice on my profile before reviewing.**_


	2. Chapter 2

**Well... I don't have anything to put here right now. Please enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 2 - First Battle! Celeste vs Alicia!  
**  
Stunned, Celeste blinked and stammered out, "Um... okay."

Alicia smirked. "Great." She reached into her backpack, pulling out a Poke Ball. "Go, Squirtle!" She flung the ball; it popped open, releasing a white beam of light. The light struck the ground, morphed into the shape of the Pokemon, and vanished. Squirtle stood in its place.

"_Squirtle, squirt!_" Squirtle cried.

"It'll be my Squirtle versus your Charmander," Alicia explained, and then she snickered. "Water-types are strong against Fire-types, you know. So I guess there's no chance of you winning!"

Celeste scowled, pulling Charmander's Poke Ball from her bag. "Don't get your hopes up, Alicia! Go, Charmander!" She hurled the ball into the air, unintentionally putting a little too much force into it. The ball soared rapidly to her right and crashed into a cedar tree.

"Oops..." Celeste muttered.

Alicia giggled. "_Fail_!"

The Poke Ball hit the ground and burst as the light escaped it, releasing Charmander.

"_Char?_" The Lizard Pokemon glanced around, puzzled.

"Hey, Charmander!" Celeste called. "We're going to have our first battle, so do your best, okay?"

Charmander glared at his Trainer; he crossed his arms and turned his head away from her stubbornly.

Celeste heaved a sharp breath. _Okay, how do battles work again? I've seen them on TV... It looks like the Trainers just yell out commands at their Pokemon, so it's simple enough..._ She gulped. _Oh, gosh... This is my first Pokemon battle, and it's against_ Alicia_! I really hope I don't mess up; she won't let me forget about it if I lose—_

"Celeste!"

Alicia's shouting made Celeste start. "What?"

Alicia rolled her cerulean eyes. "You were zoning out again. Are we gonna battle or what?"

Squirtle giggled.

Celeste blushed. "Oh, right..." She reached into her black denim backpack, slipping out her Pokedex. "Hold on. Let me check Charmander's moves first." Pointing the device at Charmander, she flicked the lid open.

"_Charmander's moves are Scratch, Growl, and Ember,_" an electronic voice said.

"Great!" Celeste slipped the Pokedex back into her bag. "Charmander, start off with Scratch!"

Charmander shot her an arrogant glare, and then turned away. "_Charrr._"

"Huh?" Celeste muttered. "Um... okay. How about Ember instead?"

The Lizard Pokemon smirked, a mischievous glint in his sapphire eyes. Through his gaping jaw, he released an array of small, fiery bolts directly at Celeste's face.

Celeste collapsed onto the grass with a surprised shriek; the attack passed over her. Alicia and Squirtle erupted into laughter.

"_Not at me_!" Celeste rose to her feet, stomping her foot in frustration.

Charmander snickered.

Alicia calmed down, smirking at her childhood rival. "Well, this is going to be an easy win! Squirtle, use Bubble!"

Squirtle opened her mouth, blowing out multiple clear bubbles at Charmander. The bubbles hit the Lizard Pokemon, bursting with the contact; he winced, groaning.

Celeste gasped. "Charmander!"

Charmander shook off the pain, snarling at the Tiny Turtle Pokemon, who smirked back at him.

"Come on, Charmander!" Celeste shouted. "Use Scratch!"

Charmander scowled at her over his shoulder.

"Use Tackle!" Alicia commanded.

Squirtle darted toward Charmander, slamming into him with abundant force, causing him to tumble back onto the ground.

"_Charmanderrrrr..._"

"_Charmander_!" Celeste encouraged. Tears brimmed in her aquamarine eyes from witnessing the Lizard Pokemon's pain. "Don't let her do that to you. _Fight back_!"

Charmander growled, struggling to his feet. He nodded slowly, glaring at his opponent.

Celeste smiled. "Great! Use Ember!"

Alicia laughed. "Seriously? You and I both know how this battle's going to turn out. Squirtle, use Bubble!"

As Squirtle shot many bubbles from her open mouth, Charmander ran toward her. The bubbles headed straight for the Lizard Pokemon.

Alicia laughed again. "Is your Pokemon stupid or something? He's running right at the attack!"

Charmander was about to tread dead-on into the bubbly mob; at the last moment, he whirled out of the attack's path, and then continued on.

"_What_?!" Alicia shrieked, her cerulean eyes wide with shock.

Celeste smirked. "Not so stupid now, is he?"

The Lizard Pokemon rushed to Squirtle, and hopped behind her. He clawed the back of her light blue head with his sharp claws.

"_Squirt!_" Squirtle cried in agony.

_Scratch?_ Celeste wondered. _I told him to use Ember..._

"Okay, now use _Ember_!" she commanded, stressing the attack name.

"Dodge it!" Alicia yelled.

Charmander opened his jaws wide, firing bolts of fire directly at Squirtle from behind. Squirtle whirled around, but the attack still struck her in the side. The impact threw her onto the grass.

"Use Scratch, over and over!" Celeste demanded.

Alicia scowled. "There's no _way_ I'm letting you win!" she growled. "Get up and use Tackle!"

Squirtle hopped back onto her feet, groaning slightly; she dashed at Charmander. The Lizard Pokemon shot the fiery bolts from his mouth again. The attack bombarded the Tiny Turtle Pokemon, slowing her to a halt.

"Now use _Scratch_!" Celeste repeated, growing frustrated.

Charmander ran up to Squirtle, who was still recovering from the Ember attack, and scratched her across her face. The force knocked her onto the ground.

Alicia moaned, adjusting her white headband anxiously. "Squirtle, get up!"

"_Squirt..._" Squirtle tried to rise from the ground, struggling; after a minute's effort, she collapsed.

"_Squirtle_!"

Celeste gasped, her aquamarine eyes bulging in astonishment. "I won...?"

Alicia sighed. "Yeah..." She pulled Squirtle's Poke Ball from her bag, pointing it at the fainted Pokemon. A red light shot from the button in the center, enveloping Squirtle's body, and then sucked her inside. "But don't get a big head about it. You got lucky this time, because that's the _only_ time you'll ever beat me." She scowled at her childhood rival, tucking the ball back into her black, floral-patterned backpack. With another sigh, she turned in the opposite direction and began pacing away. "See ya."

Celeste's expression brightened; she looked down at Charmander. "_We won_!" She ran over to her Pokemon, scooping him up in her arms and embracing him tightly, squealing happily. "Great job, Charmander! You did so well!"

Charmander grimaced. "_Charmanderrrrr..._"

"Well... you need to learn to obey commands better, though, but you still did great!" She pulled away slightly to look at Charmander's face, smiling.

Displeased with the close contact, the Lizard Pokemon opened its jaws wide and released a long, fiery beam at his Trainer's face.

"Ow..."

_**To be continued...**_

* * *

**A/N: Okay, before you review, there's one thing I want you to know: _I'm not that good at writing battles. _I know, I'm already aware, so you don't need to tell me. But if you have any tips for how I could improve on writing battles, please tell me. :) **

**With that said, thanks for reading! Please review!**

**~Hayley (Black Pichu)**

_**Note: Again, please refer to the notice on my profile before reviewing.**_


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: I am ****_terribly _****sorry for not updating this! No, I didn't forget about it or just dump this story. My computer had a virus on it, and while I was having it cleared, I couldn't access any of my files. Fortunately, I have a new computer now, and all of my files are safe and sound. :) So, to make up for this, I updated with both this chapter and Chapter 4!**

**So, now that that's out of the way, thank you to those of you who have left kind reviews and told me you like this story! I hope you enjoy these two chapters!**

* * *

**Chapter 3 - Enter Marcus!**

Celeste trudged through the tall, green grass. "Seriously, how long _is_ this route?!" she groaned.

She had been heading straight down the road from Pallet Town to Viridian City for about an hour. Her legs ached from walking the distance, and she felt lonely and bored, considering she was isolated on a long, grassy trail with nothing to do but keep moving onward.

With an exhausted sigh, she stumbled over to a tall oak tree, plopping down in front of it and leaning against the trunk. _My journey stinks so far..._

She relaxed for a minute, closing her eyes and taking in everything around her: the sweet smell of nature, Pokemon cries in the distance, the soothing breeze tickling her cheeks...

Celeste opened her eyes as a consideration came to her. _Charmander should be enjoying this, too._ _Maybe I should bring him out..._

She pulled Charmander's Poke Ball from her backpack; she hit the button in the center. The ball burst open, and a white light leaked out, releasing the Lizard Pokemon.

"_Charmanderrrr...?_" he groaned, appearing exasperated from being let out of his Poke Ball.

Celeste smiled warmly. "I was feeling a little lonely, and I thought you were, too... So, I thought I'd let you out to play and relax."

Charmander gazed at her; it wasn't the same way he used to look at her. The expression in his sapphire eyes wasn't full of remorse or arrogance, but more of... consideration. Before Celeste could really comprehend the emotion, the Pokemon turned away from her, curling up in the lush grass and shutting his eyes.

Celeste's smile faded slightly. She glanced down at the Poke Ball in her hands; she frowned, furrowing her eyebrows in deep thought. "Seriously, how _do _you fit in here...?"

* * *

_Celeste didn't feel like herself._

_She felt like she was seeing through the eyes of another girl, a girl who was terrified of the dark. Celeste didn't understand the feeling. She liked the darkness; why did she feel scared of it now?_

_Breathing heavily, she glanced around the dim area she stood in. It appeared to be an ordinary bedroom: a bed that was neatly made, a bookshelf stocked with many novels, a dark blue rug spread across the hazelwood floor..._

_However, it didn't_ feel _like_ _someone's bedroom. There was nothing comfortable about it. The temperature was as cold as winter; a feeling of terror filled the room._

_The girl shuddered and wrapped her arms around her torso to keep warm, horrified eyes flickering around the room. A jolt of panic suddenly burst through her._

_She looked straight ahead in front of her, her eyes bulging to the size of saucers._

_"Oh, no..." the girl whimpered._

_Right before her, the white figure of a boy drifted toward her at a steady pace. His body gleamed a silvery-white, but was transparent at the same time. Nothing was real about him._

_The girl froze, watching in terror as the apparition proceeded closer to her. As he did so, his shining form dimmed, making him appear more human, but he was still translucent. His features became more conspicuous: He had shaggy, platinum blonde hair that hung down to his chin; cerulean eyes; and ivory skin. His tattered clothes were hues of white and light gray._

_The girl relaxed slightly; the boy halted in front of her. They gazed at each other, their expressions betraying differing emotions—fear and confusion in the girl's, caring and disappointment in the boy's._

_Very slowly, he reached out toward her with a pale hand. His fingertips brushed her cheek, his touch as gentle as a feather. He stared with sad, concerned eyes into hers._

_"Don't be afraid..." he whispered._

Celeste woke with a start, panting. She had returned to reality, where she was on the route between Pallet Town and Viridian City, the warm afternoon sun beating down on her. Charmander was snoozing by her side in the grass.

She sighed. "Must have dozed off..." Stretching out her arms, she yawned deeply.

The dream was still fresh in her mind. The darkness of the room, the only light illuminating off the boy's body; the girl's fear; the boy's features... everything.

Celeste's aquamarine eyes lit up. "I _have_ to write that down!" she squealed. Hastily, she unzipped her backpack, drawing out a black notebook with a pencil stuck in the spiral. She flicked it open, sliding the pencil out of the spiral, and jotted down her recent dream onto the lined pages.

Charmander lifted his head, blinking his sapphire eyes groggily. "_Charrrr...?_"

Celeste's writing stopped as she glanced up at the Lizard Pokemon. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't wake you, did I?"

Charmander rose into a sitting position, slowly shaking his head back and forth. "_Chaaaaarrrrrr_..." he yawned, stretching his arms out.

Celeste giggled. _So cute! _She faced her notebook again and continued recording her previous dream onto the page.

A nearby bush began rustling vigorously. Fully awake, Charmander eyed it suspiciously; as he watched, a Pokemon emerged from the emerald green leaves. The Pokemon had a yellow, bell-shaped head with pink lips and two small, onyx eyes; a brown, skinny, stem-like body with roots that resembled two feet; and two green leaves.

"_Belllll,_" the Pokemon muttered, an expression of confusion on his face.

Charmander scowled at the Pokemon, hopping onto his feet. "_Char!_" he roared as he darted toward his target.

Surprised, the Pokemon glanced at Charmander; his expression transitioned to a scowl. "_Bellsprout!_" Two green vines extended from between his leaves and body. The vines lashed at the Lizard Pokemon, striking him multiple times.

"_Charmanderrrrr!_" Charmander cried, tumbling onto the ground in defeat.

Hearing the commotion, Celeste glanced up from her notebook. She gasped when she saw Charmander laying in the dirt, his orange body covered in bruises. "Charmander!" she cried, springing to her feet and dropping her pencil and notebook. She rushed to the wounded Lizard Pokemon, kneeling by his side, staring at him with worry. "Charmander, are you okay?"

"_Char..._" Charmander moaned, struggling into a sitting position, Celeste assisting him by pushing gently on his back with one hand.

Celeste faced the other Pokemon, scowling. "What's _your_ problem?!" she snapped. "Why'd you do that to Charmander?!"

The Pokemon sulked. "_Bell, Bellsprout..._"

"Hey!" a boy's voice called.

Celeste looked up as a boy approached the scene. He appeared to be around her age; he was very skinny, with jade green eyes and fair skin. His messy, slightly curly, sandy brown hair was mostly covered by a black beanie decorated with red and gray flames. He was dressed in a black, short-sleeved shirt with a red stripe across the chest; dark blue jeans; and black, red, and white sneakers. A pair of red goggles dangled from his neck; a dark gray and red backpack was strapped onto his back.

The boy sighed, glaring down at the Pokemon. "There you are, Bellsprout! How many times do I have to tell you to _not_ run away like that?"

"_Sprout..._" Bellsprout muttered, hanging his head in shame.

The boy shook his head, and then looked up at Celeste and her injured Charmander. He gasped. "What happened? Is your Charmander okay?"

Celeste glowered at him. "Your Pokemon just attacked him for no reason!"

"Well, I'm sorry about that. But for your information, Bellsprout doesn't attack other Pokemon unless he feels threatened."

"_Bell_," Bellsprout agreed with a nod.

Celeste sighed, glancing down at the Lizard Pokemon. "Yeah, Charmander probably _did _attack when I wasn't looking..."

"Here, I'll help your Charmander. Hold on." The boy knelt down, pulling off his backpack as he did so. He unzipped the front pocket; then he reached in and pulled out a small, silver and purple spray bottle. Gently taking Charmander's arm in his hand, he pointed the nozzle of the bottle at a small wound. "This may sting a little bit..." he muttered, pressing the button; a liquid squirted from the nozzle onto the bruise.

"_Charrr!_" Charmander groaned, wincing.

The boy continued to spray the substance onto the Lizard Pokemon's other injuries. In a matter of moments, the bruises were fully healed, as if they were never inflicted in the first place.

"Wow," Celeste muttered, aquamarine eyes wide in amazement. "Thank you!"

The boy grinned, slipping the bottle back into his bag and zipping the pocket. "No problem. Sorry that my Bellsprout hurt your Charmander."

"_Bell,_" Bellsprout agreed.

"It's okay. I'm sorry that Charmander tried to attack Bellsprout..."

He shrugged. "It's fine. Don't worry about it." He paused, and then he extended his hand. "I'm Marcus, by the way."

Celeste rose to her feet, grasping his hand and shaking it. "I'm Celeste! Nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you, too. So, are you heading to Viridian City?"

She nodded. "Yeah, I am. Are you?"

Marcus shrugged. "Actually, I was just coming from there. I was visiting a friend in Pewter City, but I decided to just wander around a little. I could show you the way, if you want."

"Well, if you don't mind..."

"I don't mind at all. That's why I offered."

Celeste beamed. "Yes, I'd really appreciate it! Thanks!"

"No problem."

* * *

"You're just beginning your journey, right?" Marcus asked as they traveled to Viridian City.

"Yeah," Celeste said. "Why?"

Marcus shrugged. "I kind of just got the feeling. I mean, you have a starter Pokemon from Professor Oak, you seem kind of lost, you don't really seem to have much control of your Charmander..."

Celeste blushed, averting her gaze to the ground beneath her feet. _Is it _that _obvious...?_

Noticing her embarrassed expression, he hastily added, "No offense or anything. It's fine that you're not immediately an amazing Trainer. After all, you just started your journey. You'll get better as you learn."

Celeste shrugged. "It's fine. You're right, though. I do need to get better at those things... especially controlling Charmander." She remembered her battle with Alicia earlier that day, and how Charmander refused to obey her commands at first. She anxiously bit her lower lip.

"Charmander are hotheaded, stubborn Pokemon," Marcus said. "Most Fire-types are, so they're very hard to control if you don't have much of a bond with them." He beamed. "But don't worry. Your bond will grow, and you'll become a better Trainer. I know you can."

Her face flushed from his kind compliment. She flashed him a warm smile in return. "Thank you..."

They fell silent as Marcus continued to guide Celeste down the dirt road leading to Viridian City. Feeling overwhelmed by the quiet, she spoke up.

"Are you also just starting your journey?"

He looked up at the turquoise sky in deep thought. "Er, yeah, I guess you could say I am," he said slowly. "I _did _just start travelling Kanto about a week ago, but I've actually been a Trainer for a few months."

"Why did you wait to start travelling?"

He shrugged. "I guess I didn't feel like setting out on my own at the time. I also didn't want to leave behind the daycare."

Celeste raised an eyebrow. "Daycare?"

Marcus nodded. "Yeah. I used to help Mr. Fuji run his Pokemon daycare in my hometown. I really enjoyed helping him and caring for all the Pokemon. At the time, I didn't want to leave all of a sudden..."

"What made you change your mind?"

"Well... caring for the Pokemon at the daycare helped me to decide I want to become a Pokemon Breeder. Mr. Fuji said I already knew enough after helping him with the daycare, but I want to learn as much as I possibly can." He grinned. "So, I decided to travel all of Kanto to learn more about Pokemon."

Celeste smiled. "That's really..." She searched every corner of her mind for a fitting word. _Sweet? Interesting? Amazing? No... _Failing to think of anything, she finished lamely with, "Cool."

"Thanks."

A small, purple figure hopping onto the path before them made them both start.

"What is that?" Celeste asked. She glanced up, examining the rodent-like Pokemon that surprised her.

The Pokemon was very small, with large, white teeth protruding from her mouth. She had purple fur on her back, which contrasted with the lighter, cream-colored fur on her stomach, claws, and muzzle. Long whiskers sprouted from her cheeks; her long tail curled slightly at the end. Her dark ruby red eyes were set into an intimidating scowl.

"It's a Rattata," Marcus said.

"A Rattata?" Celeste reached into her backpack, whipping out her Pokedex. She aimed the device at the Pokemon, flicking the lid open.

"_Rattata, the Mouse Pokemon,_" an electronic voice said. "_Its fangs are long and very sharp. They grow continuously, so it gnaws on hard things to whittle them down._"

"Hey, Celeste," Marcus said, "since you're just starting your journey, how about I demonstrate to you how to catch a Pokemon?"

Celeste nodded. "Sure."

He reached into his backpack, drawing out a Poke Ball. "Okay. Go, Fearow!" he shouted, tossing the ball. It popped open in the air, releasing a burst of light.

After the glow faded, a large bird Pokemon was in its place. This Pokemon had a brown body; the tips of his broad wings and the shaggy feathers at the base of his long neck were a light cream color. A red coxcomb sprouted from the top of his head. His beak and sharp-clawed talons were a dull shade of pink. His intense, onyx eyes glared at Rattata, the unsuspecting opponent.

"_Feaaarrrrrrrowwwww!_" the Pokemon crowed.

Celeste's eyes widened, directing her Pokedex at the unfamiliar Pokemon. "Whoa, cool..."

"_Fearow, the Beak Pokemon,_" the device stated. "_Its huge and magnificent wings can keep it aloft in the sky. It can remain flying a whole day without landing._"

"Okay, Celeste, watch carefully," Marcus informed. "If you want to catch a lot of Pokemon on your journey, you're going to have to know how to do it."

She slipped her Pokedex back into her bag, focusing her aquamarine eyes on the scene. "Okay, I'm watching!"

Noticing Fearow's challenging look, Rattata placed herself into a prepared stance. "_Raaaaaaaaa!_" she hissed.

"Fearow, start off with Fury Attack!" Marcus commanded.

Fearow swooped down toward Rattata. The Mouse Pokemon stood like a statue in her spot, eyeing her opponent carefully. At the last moment, when Fearow's beak was about to make contact, she leaped out of the way; the Flying-type crashed to the dirt.

"Try again, Fearow!"

Fearow heaved himself from the ground and back into the air. He turned and swiftly soared at Rattata. Once again, the Mouse Pokemon dodged her opponent's sharp beak.

Marcus growled, growing frustrated. "Keep trying until it hits!" he encouraged.

The Beak Pokemon obeyed and continued to attack Rattata, who also continued to dodge every attempt. Eventually, Fearow's beak managed to strike Rattata's back, jabbing repeatedly. She collapsed onto the dirt.

Rattata struggled to her feet, snarling; once she regained her balance, she darted toward Fearow.

"Wait for it..." Marcus muttered, concentrating on how the Mouse Pokemon swiftly approached Fearow.

About a foot away from where Fearow drifted, the Normal-type sprang into the air, prepared to strike with her sharp claws.

"Now, use Pursuit!"

The Flying-type fiercely slapped Rattata with his wing, sending her flying. She struck the ground with a loud thud.

Marcus grinned. "Great job, Fearow!" He yanked a Poke Ball from his backpack, hurling it at the fainted Mouse Pokemon. "Go, Poke Ball!" he cried.

The ball smacked into Rattata's head. It bounced back and popped open, enveloping the Pokemon in a red light. The light sucked her inside; the ball snapped shut and landed on the dirt. Celeste, Marcus, and Fearow all watched in anticipation as it rocked back and forth, the center flashing. After a moment, there was a soft click and it stopped moving.

"_Yes_!" Marcus cheered, pumping his fist in the air.

Celeste grinned. _Wow! He caught it!_

Marcus picked up the Poke Ball and tucked it inside his backpack; then he smiled at Celeste. "And that's how you catch a Pokemon, Celeste!"

Celeste nodded slowly, aquamarine eyes gazing blankly in front of her. _It looks pretty easy,_ she thought. _But then again, Marcus is a more experienced Trainer than I am. And he actually has control of his Pokemon. If I tried to battle a wild Pokemon with Charmander... _She recalled how Charmander refused to obey her commands when she was battling Alicia. Celeste was lucky that Charmander finally decided to listen to her and attack, winning the match. But what if Charmander refused to attack if they encountered a powerful wild Pokemon? The thought was too frightening for her to bear.

While Celeste was zoned out, caught in the middle of her racing thoughts, Marcus explained, "First, you use your Pokemon's moves to weaken up the wild Pokemon. If they don't have much strength left over, it's harder for them to escape the Poke Ball when you catch them. So, once they're worn down, you quickly throw a Poke Ball at them. Sometimes it takes a few tries, depending on how weak they've become. Got it?"

Well, maybe I should work on getting Charmander to obey me before I run into any dangerous Pokemon. Battling Marcus and Alicia and other Trainers might help... And maybe—

"Celeste?"

Celeste started, snapping back to reality like a rubber band. "Huh?!"

Marcus snarled. "Were you even paying attention?!"

"No!" she said hastily, throwing her hands in front of her in defense. "No, I-I was watching the whole battle, honestly! I just... started thinking about something after the battle was over..."

"Oh, okay..." Marcus muttered, calming down. "Sorry for yelling."

Celeste shrugged. "It's fine. Sorry that I zoned out." She chuckled nervously. "I have a habit of doing that..."

"Don't worry about it. I do the same thing all the time." He averted his gaze up to the sky. The day was coming to an end; the turquoise expanse was beginning to transform into hues of pink, orange, yellow, red, and dark blue. A few stars were appearing, twinkling like diamonds. "It seems to be getting late," he stated. "Since we're close to Viridian City, we should go check into a Pokemon Center for the evening."

Celeste nodded. "Okay."

* * *

When Celeste and Marcus arrived in Viridian City, nightfall had already conquered all of Kanto. Fortunately, the city's Pokemon Center allowed traveling Trainers to spend the night there for free, so the two rented a room and hit the hay.

Celeste laid in her bed, gazing up at the ceiling in deep thought. The first day of her journey kept playing back in her head: receiving Charmander from Professor Oak, leaving Pallet Town, battling Alicia, meeting Marcus, learning how to catch a Pokemon... Her journey was starting off with fairly pleasant events, but she knew things would get harder, considering she knew little to nothing about Pokemon. She still had to learn how to gain control of Charmander, as the Lizard Pokemon's disobedience would cause her loads of problems, from causing her to lose a battle to injuring others. And along with that, there were many other things she needed to learn.

Celeste rolled over onto her side, squinting to see in the darkness. Marcus tossed and turned on the bed across the room; she inferred that he wasn't asleep yet.

"Marcus?"

He moaned in response, lifting his head slightly.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you..."

"Don't worry, I wasn't even asleep yet." He sat upright in his bed, running his hands through his unruly hair. "What's wrong?"

"Well, I was just thinking... It's obvious that I know _nothing_. And... well, you seem a lot more experienced than I am, so..."

"You want me to travel with you?" Marcus completed her statement.

Celeste could feel her face heating up. She felt ridiculous asking him to accompany her and help her; she was sure he had much better to do in his travels than hang around with some ignorant Trainer. "Well, if it's okay with you..."

"Of course." She could hear a smile in his voice. "Traveling around by myself gets lonely... and I'm happy to help you out."

She smiled. "Thanks, Marcus."

"No problem. Now get some sleep. You need your energy for tomorrow." With a yawn, he laid back down on the bed.

Celeste's aquamarine eyes fluttered shut, and she quickly drifted into a peaceful sleep.

_**To be continued...**_

* * *

**A/N: Thank you for reading; I hope you enjoyed! Please leave a review!**

**~Hayley**

_**Note: Please refer to the notice on my profile before reviewing.**_


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: ...Yeah. Got nothing to say.**

**Please enjoy this chapter! :D**

* * *

**Chapter 4 - Training Day**

Celeste awoke the next morning to the sun's warm rays that leaked through the window and warmed her face. Gazing at the clear turquoise sky outside, she smiled and closed her eyes. The beautiful day that she saw outside made her feel so relaxed and peaceful...

...but the soothing moment ended when a pair of hands grabbed her shoulders and shook her vigorously.

"_Wake up_!"

Celeste shrieked; she broke the hands' grip off of her, shooting upright in her bed. Panting, she scowled at the culprit: Marcus. He smirked playfully at her.

"Glad you're awake!" he said.

"Of _course_ I'm awake," Celeste growled. She took a few more deep breaths to slow down her heartbeat, which raced as a result of the shocking moment. "What was that about?"

"Well, I had to wake you up somehow for your training."

"Training?" She raised an eyebrow.

"Remember? You told me last night that you needed help with controlling Charmander, and the only way you can do that is by training with him. So, I'm going to help you out with that."

Celeste glanced over at the alarm clock that was set on the bedside table. It was only seven o'clock in the morning. She yawned deeply as she turned back to Marcus. "But do we have to do it so early...? I'm still—" She was interrupted by her black denim backpack slamming into her, having been thrown by Marcus.

"Now get ready," Marcus ordered, walking over to the bedroom door. He grabbed the knob; then he looked over his shoulder at her. "I'll meet you outside the Pokemon Center, okay?"

"But—"

Before she could utter another word, the door slammed. She sighed.

* * *

"So, how exactly is this 'training?'" Celeste asked.

After she got dressed and met Marcus outside the Pokemon Center, he led her back to Route 1, right outside of Viridian City. She expected very harsh training—like engaging in a brutal battle with Marcus, fifty push-ups, or sprinting to Pallet Town and back. But instead, they were sitting in the grass, doing nothing.

Marcus chuckled, shaking his head. "This isn't training. Right now, we're just waiting."

"Waiting for what?"

"A wild Pokemon. So you can battle against it with Charmander, and maybe also catch it."

Celeste glanced around at her surroundings, growing impatient. _Waiting for a Pokemon to show up is _so_ boring..._

Suddenly, a small bird Pokemon swooped down from the sky and landed on the ground a few yards away. The Pokemon had a plump body. His feathers were brown; the feathers on his throat, belly, the tips of his wings, and above his eyes were cream-colored. Black markings surrounded his coffee brown eyes, and his feet were a dull shade of pink. His small, dull pink beak pecked at the dirt, oblivious to Celeste and Marcus's presence.

"A Pokemon!" Celeste gasped, her aquamarine eyes lighting up.

"_Shh_!" Marcus whispered. "You'll scare him away!"

Celeste reached into her backpack, drawing out her Pokedex. "What Pokemon is that?" she wondered, opening the device.

"_Pidgey, the Tiny Bird Pokemon,_" the Pokedex's electronic voice said. "_Pidgey does not like to fight. It hides in tall grass and so on, foraging for food such as small bugs._"

She slipped the Pokedex back into her bag and exchanged it for Charmander's Poke Ball, smiling confidently. "I'm going to try to catch it!"

Marcus nodded. "Good luck."

Cautiously, Celeste stepped closer to Pidgey. She held the Poke Ball out in front of her, pressing the button in the center. "Charmander, come on out!" The ball popped open, a white light erupting from it and striking the ground. It formed a shape and then vanished, presenting Charmander... who was curled into a ball, snoring softly.

Marcus groaned, slapping his open hand onto his grimacing face. "Oh, great..."

Celeste chuckled nervously. "Well, I can't blame him. It _is _early..."

The Tiny Bird Pokemon looked up at the sleeping Lizard Pokemon, cocking his head slightly.

"Charmander," Celeste said, "wake up!"

Charmander opened one sapphire blue eye halfway, peering up at his Trainer. He closed it again with a stubborn "_Char._"

"Try being more demanding, Celeste," Marcus suggested. "Charmander might respond to that."

Celeste nodded. "Okay." She shifted her expression into a grim scowl, directed at Charmander. She stomped her foot on the ground and snarled, "Charmander, get up! _Now_!"

"Not _that_ demanding..."

The Lizard Pokemon twitched slightly in his sleep; he didn't do as she commanded.

Pidgey hopped over to him, eying him curiously. Then the Tiny Bird Pokemon jabbed his forehead with his beak.

"_Charrrrrrr!_" Charmander roared, leaping out of his comfortable position. He glared daggers at Pidgey, growling.

"Good, you're awake now!" Celeste said cheerfully. "Now use Scratch!"

Charmander opened his jaws, firing an array of small, fiery balls at Pidgey. Right before the attack struck, Pidgey fluttered out of the way.

Celeste heaved a sharp, seething breath through her teeth. "I said _Scratch_, not _Ember_!"

Pidgey soared swiftly through the air, heading straight for Charmander. When his opponent drew closer, the Lizard Pokemon swiped at him with his small claws but missed. Chirping angrily, Pidgey began pecking repeatedly at Charmander's head.

"_Charr!_"

"Don't let him do that to you, Charmander!" Celeste shouted. "Use Ember!"

With Pidgey already close, Charmander began clawing at his stomach. The Tiny Bird Pokemon let out a trilling cry of pain and retreated. His coffee brown eyes scowled at Charmander; he began beating his small wings furiously. A cloud of dirt swept up from the ground and swarmed over both Celeste and the Lizard Pokemon.

Celeste grunted in surprise, squeezing her eyes shut and turning away from the dust. Charmander shielded his face with his arms, wincing as the dirt pierced his eyes.

Through the dust cloud, Pidgey swooped down swiftly, his outstretched wings colliding with Charmander and knocking him off his feet.

The dirt gradually cleared away; Celeste opened her eyes. Charmander was lying on the ground, groaning in agony, and the wild Pidgey was nowhere in sight.

"Charmander!" Celeste cried worriedly, running to her Pokemon's side. She crouched down and carefully lifted him into a sitting position, gazing at him with concern while she cradled him in her arms.

Marcus rushed over as well, yanking his dark gray and red backpack from his back. "Don't worry," he reassured. "He doesn't look too beat up. It's nothing a Potion can't help..." He rummaged through the front pocket of his bag for a minute; he raised an eyebrow, puzzled, when he couldn't find what he was looking for. He peered inside the pocket and then sighed. "Oh, great..."

"What?" Celeste asked.

"It looks like I'm out of healing items." He shrugged. "Oh, well. We can just head back to Viridian City, so you can heal Charmander at the Pokemon Center and I can restock at the Poke Mart."

Celeste nodded. "Okay."

* * *

"It kind of stinks that that training was all for nothing..." Celeste mumbled.

The duo had arrived back in Viridian City; Charmander got a good, well-deserved rest at the Pokemon Center. Now Celeste was following Marcus down the streets of the city to the Poke Mart.

"It wasn't for _nothing_," Marcus said. "Maybe you and Charmander both learned something from that."

_Yeah,_ Celeste thought with a roll of her aquamarine eyes, _I learned that choosing Charmander for my starter Pokemon wasn't a good idea._

"But don't worry about it," he reassured, shooting a grin over his shoulder at her. "We'll get right back to training after I restock, okay?"

She returned a warm smile. "Okay."

As they continued on in silence, Celeste's eyes examined her surroundings. Viridian City was very unfamiliar to her; it was nothing like her small hometown of Pallet Town. There were many more houses and buildings...

One building in particular that they passed caught her attention. It was very large—even bigger than Professor Oak's lab—and had a gray and tan exterior constructed of steel. Two sliding doors were on the front of the building, with a large, white Poke Ball painted above them. A large sign by the doors read: _'Viridian City Pokemon Gym.'_

Celeste halted in front of the building, gazing at it in curiosity. "What's this?"

Marcus stopped in his tracks and turned to the building. "Oh, that's the Pokemon Gym."

"The Pokemon Gym?" Celeste repeated, slightly confused. "So... this is where Pokemon exercise?" An image of a sweaty Pokemon running on a treadmill flashed through her mind.

He chuckled. "No, that's not what it is. A Pokemon Gym is a place where Trainers battle much stronger Trainers called Gym Leaders. If a Trainer beats a Gym Leader, they get a Badge. There are eight Gyms around the region. A Trainer that wins all eight Badges from all of the Gyms qualifies for the Pokemon League."

Intrigued, Celeste's eyes widened. "What's the Pokemon League?"

"It's a very tough competition where all Trainers that qualify battle to become the Champion, the strongest Trainer in the Kanto region."

_Strongest Trainer in the Kanto region? _Celeste's face brightened. "That sounds _awesome_! I'm totally going to do that!"

"But Celeste," Marcus said, "Gym Leaders are stronger than regular Trainers. It's not easy. It will take lots of training—"

"I don't care." Celeste beamed, her aquamarine eyes sparkling with determination. "I'll do whatever it takes to get all the Badges and enter the Pokemon League!" She turned to the Gym's doors. "Now let's go inside and—"

"You can't," Marcus interrupted. "It's closed. The Gym Leader's been out of town for quite a while."

"Darn it..."

* * *

"Wait right out here, Celeste," Marcus said when they were outside the city's Poke Mart. "I'll be back in a minute." He entered the small building, the automatic door sliding open for him as he walked inside.

"Okay." Celeste leaned against the Poke Mart's exterior, gazing up at the turquoise sky.

_I really wish the Gym wasn't closed,_ she thought. _I was looking forward to battling the Gym Leader and earning my first Badge. But then again... maybe challenging a Gym Leader with only one Pokemon that doesn't even listen to you isn't a very good idea. Gym Leaders are more powerful than any regular Trainer, after all..._

Lost in her thoughts, she pulled away from the wall she was leaning on, taking a couple steps forward. _What am I just standing here for? I should be training myself to become stronger... To become the strongest Trainer in the Kanto region... _Feeling confident, she grinned and broke into a sprint.

_No... to become the strongest Trainer in the_ world_. That's my goal!_

* * *

Celeste ran all the way through the city to Route 2. She slowed her pace down to an amble, panting heavily from the exertion. _I wonder what kind of Pokemon I can find here..._

As she walked down the route's dirt path, she glanced around her. She spotted a Pidgey soaring a few feet above the ground nearby, chirping softly, oblivious to her presence. She smiled. "Another Pidgey. Great!" She cautiously got closer to the Tiny Bird Pokemon, drawing a Poke Ball from her backpack. When she was near the unsuspecting Pokemon, she hurled the ball. "Go, Charmander!"

The ball swiftly soared through the air; it collided with the Pidgey's body. He let out a screech of pain and astonishment, and, along with the Poke Ball, he crashed to the ground.

Celeste chuckled nervously. "Oops..." _Maybe I should work on my aim, too..._

The Poke Ball popped open when it struck the ground. A white light leaked from it, fading after a moment to reveal Charmander.

"_Char?_" Charmander muttered, cocking his head slightly at the collapsed Pidgey that glared darkly at him.

"Charmander!" Celeste cried. "Use _Ember_ on that Pidgey!"

The Lizard Pokemon quickly shot a glower over his shoulder at his Trainer; then he turned away quickly. "_Char._"

Celeste growled. _He's _still _not listening..._

The angered Pidgey rose from the ground and swiftly fluttered toward Charmander. Chirping loudly, the Flying-type started pecking the Lizard Pokemon's forehead repeatedly; he cried out in pain.

"Don't let him hurt you like that, Charmander!" Celeste demanded, slightly angry. "Use Ember!"

Charmander snarled; he swung his claw forward at Pidgey, shooing the Tiny Bird Pokemon away. The Fire-type followed, slashing his small orange claws at his opponent.

"Fine, use Scratch instead," Celeste mumbled bitterly, her left eye twitching slightly in frustration.

Pidgey slapped the Lizard Pokemon with his wing, and the Fire-type retreated. Scowling, Charmander opened his jaws and fired many small orbs of fire at Pidgey. With a loud trilling sound, the Tiny Bird Pokemon swooped out of the attack's path.

Darn it,

Celeste thought.

_So close!_

Suddenly, Pidgey soared up into the air. It fluttered quickly over the trees; it vanished into the distance after a few moments, its frightened chirps gradually fading into silence.

"_Darn it_!" Celeste groaned, stomping her foot on the ground. "It got away!"

* * *

"Charmander, you _have _to learn to listen to me," Celeste scolded as she and her starter Pokemon strode down the curved path that lead further into Route 2.

"_Char, Charmander,_" Charmander said.

"Remember what happened with that Pidgey earlier? If you don't listen to me when I tell you to attack, you'll end up getting hurt."

"_Charrr..._"

"So, we're going to battle and try to capture the next Pokemon we run into, and when I tell you to attack, you use the attack I tell you to use." She smiled slightly at the Lizard Pokemon. "Okay?"

Charmander nodded. "_Char._"

A sudden rustling from the nearby woods made Celeste jump. She turned to face the throng of trees and bushes. "Is that a Pokemon?" she wondered.

A Pidgey sprang from behind the bushes, his coffee brown eyes glowering at Celeste and Charmander.

Celeste gasped. _Is that the same one from before...?_

The Pidgey was followed by several more Pidgey, all appearing as furious as the first. Another Pokemon positioned himself in front of the others. The Pokemon looked a lot like a Pidgey, only it was larger and more raptor-like. His feathers were brown with cream-colored ones on his front, face, and under his wings. His long head-crest that extended from the top of his dull pink beak was red-orange in color; his tail feathers alternated between red-orange and yellow-orange. The color of his large, sharp talons were dull pink, matching his beak. Black, lightning-bolt-shaped markings surrounded his fierce onyx eyes.

"Who's that Pokemon?" Celeste asked, stunned by the Pokemon's powerful appearance. She pulled her Pokedex from her backpack and opened the lid, aiming the device at the wild Pokemon.

"_Pidgeotto, the Bird Pokemon,_" the Pokedex's electronic voice said. "_The claws on its feet are well developed. It can carry prey such as an Exeggcute to its nest over 60 miles away._"

As she returned the device back to her bag, Celeste examined the flock of intimidating Flying-type Pokemon; then she gulped. "They don't look very happy..."

"_Charrrr..._" Charmander agreed, his body shaking.

Pidgeotto, the flock's leader, let out a shrieking cry. The Pidgey replied with loud chirps, and then they all swooped down at Celeste and Charmander.

"_Run_!"

"_Charmander char!_"

The two ran as fast as their feet could carry them; the flock treaded close behind them, their angry cries echoing through the empty route. Terrified, Celeste started to pick up her pace, adrenaline rushing through her veins and suppressing the pain in her lungs from the lack of oxygen. She continued to sprint faster and faster into the woods, stumbling over tree roots, ledges, and her own feet.

By the time she finally had to stop to breathe, she had finally outrun the flock—it was evident because she couldn't hear their shrieks and chirps anymore. She slumped forward as she coughed and gasped for air, her hands placed firmly on her knees.

"We... finally lost them... Charmander..." she said between breaths.

No response.

"...Charmander?" Celeste straightened and glanced around. She found herself in the middle of a clearing somewhere in the woods, circled by bushes and oak trees. But Charmander was nowhere in sight.

I must have lost him, she figured. In her terror, she was so determined to escape the flock in the woods that she wasn't paying attention to anything else, including Charmander's presence. She assumed that she got separated from him somewhere in the woods. She hoped that he managed to get away from the flock... but what if he didn't?

Celeste's aquamarine eyes widened in horror. _I have to find him... _She sprinted into the woods.

* * *

Celeste raced through the trees, hot tears burning in her eyes.

_How could I be so stupid?! I should've paid more attention to Charmander's safety. But no, I had to be selfish and only worry about my own safety! If Charmander gets hurt, it's all my fault. I—_

"_Mander, char mander!_"

Celeste stopped in her tracks at the cry. "Charmander?" she called.

"_Char mander, char!_"

The sound seemed to be coming from somewhere to her right. With a gasp, she whirled around and darted in that direction. "Charmander!"

The Lizard Pokemon's desperate calls became clearer as she stumbled through the bushes and dodged the large pine trees, growing closer. She leaped out into another clearing as she heard another cry, louder this time.

Charmander was cornered against the face of a tall cliff, shuddering at the intimidating glares of the Pidgeotto and several Pidgey around him. The leader of the flock let out another shrill cry; the Flying-types all swooped down at their frightened target. With a nervous moan, Charmander squeezed his eyes shut, waiting for the impact.

"_No_!"

Celeste threw herself in front of Charmander; the beaks, wings, and talons of the wild Flying-type Pokemon slashed against her skin. She screeched in pain, but remained a stable shield in front of her starter Pokemon, who stared at her in amazement.

Groaning, she peered down at Charmander, grinning despite her agony. "Are you okay, Charmander?"

Charmander nodded. "_Char._"

As she continued to protect him, taking the brutal attacks of the flock for him, Charmander gazed thoughtfully at his Trainer. She was really beaten up from the attacks—a fresh cut on the left side of her face leaked blood that ran like a red river down her face, pairs of parallel gashes ran along her arms, a large bruise began to slowly fade into view on her left thigh... Even though he ignored everything she said and attacked her constantly, Celeste still cared about him enough to defend him from harm like this. He was a very lucky Pokemon to have a kind Trainer like her choose him as her starter Pokemon...

Charmander bounded around Celeste, shooting fiery balls at the Pidgey that were striking and clawing her. A couple of the Tiny Bird Pokemon managed to dodge the attack, but the others were knocked from the air by the Fire-type move.

"Ch-Charmander..." Celeste muttered, her voice wavering from the pain of her injuries.

Pidgeotto released an ear-shattering screech of anger and soared toward Charmander. The remainder of his flock swooped down after their leader.

"Charmander, look out!" Celeste shouted.

"_Charrrr,_" Charmander snarled. He extended his arms in front of himself in defense; the tips of his claws started to glow white. Once the flock grew closer, he slashed at them with his shining claws.

The Flying-type Pokemon cried out in pain, stumbling to the ground. Pidgeotto let out another cry; the whole flock rose from the ground and fluttered away into the forest, their panicked chirps soon fading away into silence.

Celeste smiled, the gash on her face aching as she did so. "Charmander... that was awesome! Thank you..."

"_Char mander!_"

They heard some rustling in the bushes nearby, and then Marcus's exasperated voice cried, "There you are!"

"Marcus!"

"_Mander!_"

Marcus sighed as he approached the two. "Celeste, I told you to stay outside the Poke Mart. Why did you—" His eyes widened as he trailed off, noticing Celeste's injuries. "Whoa! What happened?! Are you okay?" He rushed to her side, crouching down next to her and examining her gashes.

"It's... nothing," Celeste said, her voice weak. "I kind of made a bunch of Pidgey and a Pidgeotto mad..." She struggled to hoist herself from the ground. "But don't... worry, I'm—" Putting her weight on one of her legs, a sharp pain shot through her body; she groaned in agony, falling back to the ground. Her head began to ache, her vision started to blur...

Marcus gasped. "You don't _look _fine! Come on, I'll help get you to the Pokemon Center..."

* * *

Laying in a bed at the Pokemon Center, Celeste gazed up at the ceiling, recalling the day's events. Nurse Joy, the Pokemon Center's nurse, had cleaned up Celeste's wounds from the attacks and wrapped bandages on her legs, arms, and around her head. Some parts of her body still ached slightly, though. She couldn't help but wonder how much worse it could've been if Charmander hadn't defended her...

That occurrence was the one that she pondered over the most. Charmander _saved _her. The same Charmander that ignored her, attacked her, and was totally disdainful of her. But when he defended her from the flock, he seemed to have an entirely different attitude.

The door to her room creaked open, interrupting her thoughts. "Celeste?" Nurse Joy's sweet voice said as she entered the room.

"Yeah?" Celeste slowly rose into a sitting position in her bed.

With a smile, Nurse Joy stepped out of the way. Marcus walked into the room, holding Charmander in his arms. "Your friend is here to see you, and I also checked over your Charmander. You don't have to worry about him; he's perfectly fine!"

Celeste grinned. "Thanks, Nurse Joy!"

"You're welcome. Just call me if you need anything, okay?" Flashing them another warm smile, she exited the room, closing the door behind her.

"Hey, Celeste," Marcus said, sitting down on the end of the bed. "Are you doing okay?"

Full of joy, Charmander leapt from Marcus's arms, prancing over to Celeste and embracing her. "_Charmander, charrrr!_" he cried happily.

She giggled. "I'm fine! And I'm glad you're okay, too, Charmander."

"_Char!_"

Marcus beamed. "It seems like Charmander is starting to like you more."

"Yeah, it does." Celeste stroked the Lizard Pokemon's orange head in deep thought. "I don't understand why he is starting to like me all of a sudden, though..." she muttered.

"Well..." Marcus began, touching his fingers to his chin in deep thought. "Some Pokemon will open up to Trainers when they see that they're being treated with kindness."

She pondered over this statement. She did her best to treat Charmander in a respectful manner, although there were a couple times when she shouted at him in frustration. Then she remembered being attacked by the flock. She shielded Charmander from any harm, risking her own well-being just to keep him safe. And then he returned the favor by scaring the flock away... "I guess he started to like me when I protected him from those Pidgey and Pidgeotto..."

Marcus nodded. "That might have done it."

Celeste smiled, tears—happy tears—springing into her aquamarine eyes; she pulled Charmander into a warm, tight embrace. "Thank you, Charmander..." she whispered.

The Lizard Pokemon closed his eyes, snuggling against his Trainer. "_Charmander..._"

_**To be continued...**_

* * *

**A/N: Thank you for reading! Please leave a review! :)**

**~Hayley**

_**Note: Please refer to the notice on my profile before reviewing.**_


	5. Chapter 5

**Dedication: Since this is the fifth chapter, I feel I should thank everyone who has reviewed, favorited, and/or followed ****_Unwritten_**** so far: wisdom-jewel, Shadow Serenity 57, everything105, and kingdomheartsgirl20. Thank you all so much! It makes me so happy knowing that you guys like my writing. :)**

**I hope you enjoy this chapter! :D**

* * *

**Chapter 5 - Next Stop: Pewter City!**

Humming softly to herself, Celeste ran a hairbrush through her tangled bedhead, wincing and moaning slightly in pain with every knot the brush ripped through. She glanced in the vanity mirror, making sure her dirty blonde hair was neat; she smiled, putting the brush back on the dresser and grabbing her black beanie. She carefully slipped it over her hair; after checking her reflection once again, she faced the door of her room. "Okay," she called, "I'm ready to go!"

The door opened, and Marcus stepped into the room. He was ready to head out as well, fully-dressed and freshened up after his good night's sleep. He heaved a sigh of relief, smiling sheepishly. "_Finally_." He chuckled when she shot him a glare. "Just kidding! Oh, your scars and bruises seem to be healing up already." His jade green eyes examined her body from head to toe.

Celeste turned to the mirror, studying the small injuries that the flock of Pidgey and Pidgeotto had inflicted on her the previous day. He was right; the long scar along the side of her face was already fading down to a small, inconspicuous cut. The cuts and bruises on her arms and legs had almost completely disappeared as well. "Yeah, they are." She smiled slightly to herself. Using herself as a shield to protect her Pokemon was very painful, but Charmander was safe, and that was all that mattered to her.

"Well, we should probably head out now," Marcus said. He lifted up his backpack from the floor beside the door, slinging it onto his back. "Let's try to make it to the next city as quickly as possible, but we have to travel through Viridian Forest to get there."

Celeste nodded, grabbing her bag as well. "Okay. The next city is, um..." She paused, racking her memory for the name of the city. "...Putter City, right?"

Marcus snickered. "_Pewter_ City. The first Pokemon Gym in the Kanto region is there."

Hearing these words, Celeste's face brightened. "Oh, right!" She rushed to the door, prodding Marcus out of the room in her excitement. "Let's get going, then!"

* * *

_We're lost..._

Viridian Forest was a natural maze of trees and tall grass, so it was no wonder that Celeste and Marcus ended up lost. The tall trees blocked out the sun with their thick leaves and branches, making the early morning feel like dusk in the forest. They aimlessly continued through the winding paths between the rows of trees, searching for any sign of an exit.

"How long _does_ it take to get out of this forest?" Celeste moaned.

Marcus shrugged. "No idea. I went through this same forest not too long ago, and it didn't take me _this_ long to find my way out..."

With a sigh, Celeste ambled over to a tree stump and plopped down on it. She rubbed her aching legs. "My legs are _killing_ me from all this walking..."

"Don't worry." Marcus took a deep breath, kicking a small pebble on the ground. "We'll find our way out of here eventually."

Suddenly, they heard the leaves of a nearby tree rustle.

Celeste gasped, rising to her feet and facing the direction of the sound. "What was that?"

"I don't know..."

As the two watched the tree in interest and worry, the source of the rustling—a small, green Pokemon—wiggled onto a branch in their view. The Pokemon had a green, serpentine body that resembled a caterpillar with yellow ring-shaped markings going down the sides of her body. Her underside, the tip of her tail, and the circles around her round, black eyes shared the same yellow color. A bright red antennae sprouted from her forehead. The Pokemon munched on the leaves of the tree, unaware of Celeste and Marcus.

Celeste gasped, her expression brightening. "Oh, my gosh! That Pokemon is _so_ cute!" She pulled her Pokedex from her bag and flipped it open, the red device scanning the wild Pokemon.

"_Caterpie, the Worm Pokemon. It is covered with a green skin. When it grows, it sheds the skin, covers itself with silk, and becomes a cocoon._"

"Awesome!" She shoved it back into her bag, exchanging it for a Poke Ball. "I'm going to catch it!"

"Good luck!" Marcus said with a grin.

"Thanks. Charmander, come on out!" She hurled the ball into the air; it burst open, a white light flooding out. The light condensed as it hit the ground, forming into Charmander as it vanished.

"_Charrrr!_" Charmander cried confidently.

"Now, Charmander," Celeste said, pointing her index finger at the Worm Pokemon in the tree, "use Ember on that Caterpie!"

Marcus's jade green eyes widened. "No, wait!" he shouted, making Celeste and Charmander jump. "Using a Fire-type move on a Pokemon in a tree is dangerous. You could start a fire!"

"Oh." Celeste chuckled nervously. "Right... I forgot!" _Then how can I attack Caterpie when she's so high up? _she wondered. After a moment of pondering, a light bulb lit up in her head, a sign that she had an idea. "Charmander, tackle that tree!"

The Lizard Pokemon nodded and charged toward the tree, slamming into the trunk. The strong oak shook, startling Caterpie.

"Keep it up!" Celeste encouraged.

Charmander obliged, crashing his body repeatedly into the oak tree. Caterpie's body slipped from the branch, but she clung to it with her small, padded feet. The tree shook a few more times; the Bug-type fell, plopping onto the grass.

Great!

_Now we can attack easily._ "Now, use Scratch!"

The Lizard Pokemon raised his arm; his claws started to glow silver. He darted toward Caterpie, who was struggling to stand, and slashed her body, causing her to cry out in pain.

"Wait a minute," Marcus said. "That's Metal Claw, not Scratch!"

Celeste blinked in confusion. "It is?" She recalled the day before when Charmander used the same move to scare away the Pidgey and Pidgeotto. While she did notice that the attack—which she thought was Scratch—seemed different, she didn't think it was a new move. _A new move... _She grinned. "Sweet! Charmander learned a new move!"

The Worm Pokemon rose from the ground and scowled at Charmander. Then she shot a long, white thread from her mouth. The thread wrapped tightly around Charmander's arm.

"_Char?!_" the Fire-type gasped as Caterpie jerked the string, which still remained in her mouth. He regained his balance before he could hit the ground, pulling the white string as well.

"What is that?" Celeste asked Marcus.

"String Shot. It's a move that wraps a silk string around the opponent, leaving it immobile. So Charmander might not be able to move that arm for a while..."

"Well, then, we'll just have to cut it. Charmander, Metal Claw!"

Charmander raised his other arm, and his claws started to gleam a bright silver. He sliced through the thread. Caterpie, who still tugged on the string, stumbled backward, landing on her back in the grass. The Lizard Pokemon grinned with satisfaction, slipping the leftover white string from his arm.

"Now, use Scratch!"

He did as commanded and ran at the Worm Pokemon, clawing at her body.

"_Piiiiiiiii!_" she cried.

Celeste smiled, pulling a Poke Ball from her backpack. "Caterpie should be weak enough now! Go, Poke Ball!" She flung the ball at the collapsed Bug-type. It struck her body, popping open and releasing a red light that enveloped her. After she was sucked inside, the ball fell to the ground and began to shake back and forth, the center button blinking red. Celeste watched anxiously, hoping that she could've finally captured her first Pokemon.

After a moment's anticipation, the Poke Ball stopped rocking and remained still.

"You caught it!" Marcus cheered, pumping his fist in the air.

Celeste gasped, her aquamarine eyes glistening with joy. "I did!" She pranced over to the ball, picking it up. After admiring it in her hands for a moment, she raised it high above her head and exclaimed, "I caught my first Pokemon! _Awesome_!"

"_Charmander, char!_" Charmander cried, hopping in the air with happiness.

* * *

"I can tell you're happy about your first capture, Celeste," Marcus commented, smiling.

As the duo continued through Viridian Forest, Celeste skipped slightly as she walked, beaming brightly and humming to herself. "Yeah, I'm _really_ happy!"

He chuckled slightly to himself. "Even though we're still lost in this forest...?"

Her smile vanished; she remembered that they were still stuck in the natural maze. "Oh, yeah..." However, her grin quickly returned. "But I'm still happy about catching my Caterpie!"

Marcus rolled his jade eyes. "If only Caterpie could lead us out of the forest..."

"Hey, you two!" a voice called.

Surprised, Celeste and Marcus faced the direction that the voice came from. A boy about their age stepped out of the bushes, a determined smirk spread across his freckled face. His short, curly hair was a vibrant, fiery orange; his eyes were a bright cerulean blue. These traits contrasted noticeably with his pale skin. He also had a skinny figure. His clothing consisted of a gray, short-sleeved shirt; white and green striped wristbands; khaki bermuda shorts; white socks; and black, green, and white sneakers.

"What?" Celeste asked.

The boy pointed at them. "You two are Trainers, right?"

"Yeah," Marcus answered with a nod.

The other boy grinned. "Great!" He reached into his green backpack and drew out a Poke Ball, holding it out toward them. "Then one of you, battle me!"

Celeste flinched, her aquamarine eyes widening. "H-huh?"

Marcus shook his head, holding up a hand. "Sorry, but we can't. We have to get out of this forest by tonight, so we don't have the time for a battle." He continued down the path, walking right past the disappointed boy. "Come on, Celeste."

Celeste hesitated for a moment. She shot an apologetic look at the male Trainer before following her traveling companion.

After a few moments, the boy shouted, "Wait!"

The two stopped in their tracks. Celeste faced him again; Marcus sighed.

"How about this?" the boy said. "I know a quick way out of the forest. If one of you beats me in a one-on-one battle, I'll lead you out!"

"Really?" Celeste asked. She turned to Marcus. "What do you think, Marcus?"

He considered the offer for a moment, and he finally whirled around to face the other boy. "Will you really do that?"

The boy nodded; then he smirked. "But only if _you_ win!"

Celeste and Marcus exchanged a glance and nodded. "Deal!"

"Awesome!" The boy tossed the Poke Ball he had in hand into the air. "Pikachu, let's do this!" The ball popped open, and a waterfall of white light leaked out, striking the ground and condensing into a shape. After the light disappeared, a yellow Pokemon stood in its place. The Pokemon was rodent-like, with a short, slightly chubby body. Two long, pointed ears with black tips extended from the top of his head. He had round, dark chocolate brown eyes; a small nose and mouth; and red circles on his cheeks. His arms were short and stubby; his feet were small as well. Two brown, horizontal stripes were on his back, and his long, yellow, lightning-bolt-shaped tail also had some brown fur at the base.

"_Pikapi!_" the Pokemon cried, grinning and clenching his fists. A few sparks of electricity flew from the red circles on his cheeks.

Seeing the unfamiliar Pokemon, Celeste drew her Pokedex from her bag, flicking the top of the device open.

"_Pikachu, the Mouse Pokemon. It has small electric sacs on both its cheeks. If threatened, it looses electric charges from the sacs._"

"It's _so _cute!" Celeste commented as she returned her Pokedex to her backpack, her bright eyes admiring the Mouse Pokemon.

The boy sighed, crossing his arms over his chest. "Okay, are one of you going to battle me or what?" he demanded.

Celeste started. "Oh, right."

"Good luck, Celeste," Marcus encouraged with a grin. He sat down on a nearby tree stump.

"Thanks!" She pulled a Poke Ball from her backpack, flinging it into the air. "Go, Caterpie!" When the ball popped open, Caterpie was released with a flash of white light.

"_Piiiii!_" the Bug-type said.

The boy laughed. "A Caterpie?" he mocked. "This is going to be easy!"

"_Pika!_" his Pikachu agreed.

Celeste glared at him. _I may have just caught Caterpie, but if I have her use String Shot, we should be able to win... I want to get out of this stupid forest so_ _much!_

"Hey!" the boy shouted, snapping her back to reality. "I'll let you attack first, okay?"

"'Kay, thanks! Caterpie, start out with String Shot!"

The Worm Pokemon obliged, firing a long string of silk from her mouth at Pikachu.

"Dodge it!" the boy commanded.

As the thread was about to hit the Mouse Pokemon, he hopped out of the way. The thread slumped to the grass uselessly.

The boy grinned. "Now use Tail Whip!"

Pikachu whirled around, his back facing Caterpie. Then he waggled his lightning-bolt-shaped tail back and forth; the Worm Pokemon flinched, but she relaxed when nothing happened.

Celeste raised an eyebrow. "Okay, what was the point of that?"

"Darn it, it didn't work!" the boy exclaimed. "Whatever, let's use Thundershock now!"

Electric sparks flew from the Mouse Pokemon's red cheeks, and he released a small bolt of lightning that struck Caterpie, knocking her onto the grass.

"Caterpie!" Celeste cried worriedly. "Are you okay?"

Caterpie nodded slightly, shuddering as she rose to her feet.

"Pikachu, use Thundershock again!"

"_Pikachuuuuuuuu..._" Pikachu snarled as he charged up electricity, his cheeks crackling with energy. After a few moments, he released the stored electricity in a yellow bolt that was more powerful than before.

"Caterpie, dodge it!" Celeste coached.

The Bug-type remained rooted to her spot, bracing herself for the hit. The electric bolt zapped her again, causing her to collapse onto the grass.

Her Trainer gasped. "Caterpie?!" As she watched the Worm Pokemon, she noticed that she was shivering, cowering with the fear of her stronger opponent. "Come on, don't be afraid!"

Across the field, the boy smirked. "Just as I expected, this was pretty easy. Finish it off with another Thundershock!"

Celeste began to panic as Pikachu began to store up electric energy again. "Come on, Caterpie!" she encouraged. "You have to stay strong! You can do this!"

Caterpie gazed up at her Trainer with one of her large black eyes. After a moment of consideration, she nodded once, appearing to be more confident.

Celeste grinned. "Great! Quick, use String Shot!"

The Worm Pokemon did as told and raised her head, shooting a white string at Pikachu, who was still charging his electricity and was beginning to spark with energy. The thick silk string wrapped tightly around the Mouse Pokemon's body, constricting his arms and tail. However, he still released the energy he had stored; the bolt of electricity missed Caterpie by several feet. He and his Trainer gasped.

"What happened?!" the boy exclaimed.

"Pikachu's tail is what helps him balance and aim his attacks," Marcus informed from the sidelines. "Since his tail is wrapped up with String Shot, aiming and even staying on his feet will be pretty hard."

Celeste giggled happily to herself. _I didn't even know that. Guess we got lucky! _"Now, use Tackle!"

Caterpie slithered swiftly toward Pikachu, who struggled to break free from the thick thread. She slammed her body against the Mouse Pokemon, knocking him onto his back. He called out, vigorously wiggling to break free from the silk cocoon and get back on his feet but to no avail.

The boy growled, growing frustrated. "Pikachu, try to cut the string with your teeth!"

With a nod, Pikachu began gnawing on the thick string with his sharp teeth, growling under his breath.

"Use Tackle again, Caterpie!" Celeste ordered.

Caterpie hurled herself at Pikachu's collapsed body once again, sending the Mouse Pokemon tumbling across the ground. However, he continued to tear at the silk thread with his teeth. The wrap was gradually beginning to rip apart.

_We have to try to finish this—and fast! _Celeste thought. "One more time! Tackle him, full force!"

The Worm Pokemon obliged. She started off by slithering quickly, and then she picked up speed, beginning to prance to move even faster. Just as Pikachu almost had the silk wrap completely removed from his body, Caterpie crashed her body against him once again; he screeched in agony as he was thrown back. He slumped onto the grass, unconscious.

"Pikachu!" the boy cried worriedly, kneeling beside the fainted Mouse Pokemon.

"Yes!" Celeste cheered in triumph, throwing her hands into the air.

"_Piiii!_" Caterpie said, leaping into her Trainer's arms.

She smiled, embracing the Worm Pokemon. "You were awesome, Caterpie! Great job!" She pulled a Poke Ball from her bag, directing it at her Pokemon. "Now you deserve a good rest." A red laser shot out from the ball's center button, enveloping Caterpie's body and sucking her inside. Returning the ball to her bag, she paced over to the boy, who also recalled his Pikachu. "That was an awesome battle..." she complimented, but trailed off as she thought about something. "Um... what's your name again?"

"Oh, right, I never introduced myself," the boy muttered with an embarrassed chuckle, rising to his feet. "My name's Nigel."

"I'm Celeste," she introduced with a smile. "And that was an awesome battle!"

"Thanks!"

Marcus approached the two, grinning. "And my name's Marcus."

"Nice to meet you both!" Nigel said, flashing them both a grin. "Now, how about I show you guys the way out of the forest, as I had promised?"

"That'd be great!" Marcus said. "Thanks!"

* * *

"Here we are!" Nigel announced as the trio entered Pewter City.

The city was probably even larger than Viridian City, but unlike the previous city—which had bright hues of blue and green incorporated into the construction of the houses and buildings—Pewter City had a duller color scheme, consisting of mostly grays with some dark red and magenta shades splashed around.

Nigel grinned, a wave of nostalgia washing over him as he gazed over the city. "Good to be home..."

"You live here?" Marcus asked, slightly surprised.

"Yup!" Nigel faced Celeste and Marcus. "How about we head to the Pokemon Center for lunch?"

Celeste opened her mouth to answer, but a loud growl sounding from her empty stomach interrupted her. Blushing, she giggled. "Sounds like a good idea."

* * *

The three travelers headed to the city's Pokemon Center, ordering some food that the business offered to Trainers. They sat down at a table together, discussing their journeys as they ate.

"So, why did you two decide to come to Pewter City?" Nigel asked, taking a sip from a carton of milk.

After swallowing a mouthful of a sandwich, Celeste replied, "I'm going to challenge the Gym Leader here and earn my first Badge."

"So am I." Nigel smiled.

Celeste's aquamarine eyes widened slightly. "Really?"

He nodded. "Yup! You see, ever since I was little, I always wanted to participate in the Pokemon League. It's my dream to become a Pokemon Master. And just a week ago, I headed to Pallet Town to get my starter Pokemon and start my journey."

A smile spread across Celeste's face. "Wow! I'm from Pallet Town, and I just started my journey, too. I also want to be a Pokemon Master!"

Marcus smirked at the two. "Then I guess that makes you guys rivals, huh?" he joked.

Celeste giggled. "I guess."

"So, what about you, Marcus?" Nigel asked. "Are you going to battle the Gym Leader, too?"

Marcus shook his head. "No. I just left Lavender Town a couple weeks ago to travel Kanto and learn more about Pokemon. I'm aiming to become a Pokemon Breeder."

"Awesome!"

They continued to devour the last of their food in silence, thinking fondly about their desired goals. Nigel was the first to finish. After wiping his hands on a napkin and tossing it onto his tray, he stood up.

"Hey, Celeste, Marcus," he stated, "I'm going to head to the Gym now. How about you guys come along and watch me win my first Badge?"

"Um..." Celeste and Marcus exchanged uncertain looks.

"_Please_?" Nigel pleaded, folding his hands in front of him in a begging gesture. He leaned across the table, getting his face very close to Celeste's, making her uncomfortable. "I want to make up for looking like a loser in Viridian Forest."

"You didn't look like a loser," Celeste muttered, sliding her chair back to make space between them.

"Yes, I did! But that will change when you see me win my first Badge! _Please_?"

After a moment of consideration, she nodded. "Sure."

* * *

When the trio turned around the corner of the street, they found themselves outside a building very similar to the one in Viridian City. A sign outside the double doors of the building read:

'_Pewter City Pokemon Gym  
Leader: Brock_  
_The Rock-Solid Pokemon Trainer!_'

"So, this is the city's Pokemon Gym," Celeste muttered.

Nigel nodded, grinning widely. "Yup. Come on, let's go in!" Without hesitation, he ran to the Gym's front doors, which automatically slid open as he entered.

Celeste blinked in surprise. "Whoa."

"Wait for us, Nigel!" Marcus called as he and Celeste raced after him.

Nigel was stopped about a few feet away from the automatic doors; the two placed themselves at his side, observing the Gym's interior.

The inside of the Gym was rather dim; before them was a large, rectangular battlefield that seemed to be constructed of gray stone with rugged rocks scattered around. On the opposite side of the building from where the three Trainers stood was a long, dark red bench; to the left side of the room was a small door.

"Wow," Celeste said, her bright eyes glancing around the interior in amazement.

"Are you three here for a Gym battle?" a deep voice shouted.

Celeste and Nigel jumped at the sound of the sudden voice. Without their realizing it, a teenage boy had entered through the small door. He was tall and thin, with short, spiky, coffee brown hair and tan skin. Because his eyes appeared to be permanently closed, his eye color was unknown. He donned a zipped-up, short-sleeved black jacket with orange on the chest and pockets; green jeans; and black and orange sneakers.

Flashing a bright grin, Nigel said, "Yeah, I'll be challenging you today!"

_He's the Gym Leader..._ Celeste's aquamarine eyes widened at this realization. "I also want to challenge you," she spoke up, raising her hand slightly.

As the older boy approached them, Marcus smiled, waving. "Hey, Brock! Nice to see you again."

The boy looked at Marcus, appearing slightly surprised. "Oh, hi, Marcus. I wasn't expecting to see you again today."

"You know him?" Celeste whispered to her traveling companion, bewildered.

Not hearing her question, Marcus chuckled. "Well, after I saw you last, I met up with Celeste." He pointed to her with his thumb. "I traveled back here with her because she wants to challenge you."

Nigel held up a hand, ceasing their conversation. "But that'll have to wait until after _I _challenge you!"

"Gee, you're rather polite," the teen joked, chuckling. "By the way, my name's Brock. I'm this city's Gym Leader."

"I'm Nigel, from here in Pewter City."

"Okay, Nigel," Brock said, smirking confidently, "I accept your challenge!"

* * *

Prepared for the intense battle ahead, Nigel and Brock stood on either side of the rocky battlefield. A referee stood off to the side of the field. Celeste and Marcus were perched on the bench as spectators of the event.

"Hey, Marcus," Celeste said, "how do you know Brock?"

"I met him when he came to Lavender Town a few times to help with the daycare," Marcus explained. "He's a Pokemon Breeder, but he knows a lot more than I do." With a small chuckle, he continued, "Do you remember back when I met you on Route 1, when I mentioned that I was visiting a friend in Pewter City?"

Celeste nodded slowly, starting to remember. "Yeah." She pointed to Brock. "Brock was the one you were visiting?"

"Yup." Marcus nodded, facing the battlefield. "And since Brock's a Breeder, he has raised his Pokemon very well. Nigel might have a difficult time defeating Brock's sturdy Pokemon..."

"The official Kanto League battle between Nigel, the challenger from Pewter City, and Brock, the Pewter Gym Leader, will now begin," the referee announced. "At stake is the Boulder Badge. Each will use two Pokemon." He raised both his arms in a Y-shape. "Now, let the match _begin_!"

Brock pulled a Poke Ball from his pocket and flung it into the air. "Geodude, let's go!" he shouted as the ball burst open, releasing a gray, rock-like Pokemon in a flood of light. The Pokemon, despite appearing to be a heavy boulder, levitated in the air. Above his glaring chocolate brown eyes were rocky bulges that resembled eyebrows. Two muscular arms with five-fingered hands extended from his round body.

"_Dude, Geodude!_" the Pokemon growled, flexing his muscles.

"A Geodude?" Celeste wondered, drawing her red Pokedex from her bag and flicking the top open.

"_Geodude, the Rock Pokemon. Its round form makes it easy to pick up. Some people have used them to hurl at each other in a snowball fight._"

Examining Geodude, Celeste focused on the battlefield intently. _I'm going to be challenging Brock later, so I need to pay close attention to what I'll be up against!_

"Easy-peasy, lemon squeezy," Nigel said as he drew his own Poke Ball from his backpack. "Go, Bulbasaur!" He tossed the ball into the air; it popped open, and in a waterfall of white light, a smiling Bulbasaur emerged.

"_Bulba!_" the Seed Pokemon cried.

_A Bulbasaur, _Celeste thought, directing the small device in her hand to Nigel's Pokemon. _I remember seeing one at Professor Oak's lab._

"_Bulbasaur, the Seed Pokemon. There is a plant seed on its back right from the day this Pokemon is born. The seed slowly grows larger._"

As Celeste returned her Pokedex to her backpack, Marcus said, "Since Grass-types have an advantage against Rock-types and Brock specializes with Rock-type Pokemon, Nigel might actually be able to defeat both of Brock's Pokemon with only Bulbasaur."

"Bulbasaur, Vine Whip!" Nigel ordered.

Two thin, dark green vines shot out from the sides of Bulbasaur's bulb; they swiftly raced toward Geodude.

"Use Defense Curl, Geodude!" Brock shouted.

Just before the vines struck the Rock Pokemon, he drew in his arms and shut his eyes, forming a ball. Bulbasaur's vines smacked Geodude several times; he moaned in slight pain, though the attack didn't seem to hurt him a bit.

"Geodude doesn't even seem hurt at all," Celeste pointed out, slightly confused.

Marcus nodded. "Defense Curl can strengthen a Pokemon and protect it from getting hurt too much by most attacks."

"Keep hitting it with Vine Whip, Bulbasaur!" Nigel encouraged.

Although growing tired, the Seed Pokemon did as commanded and continued to whip the curled-up Geodude with his vines. The sturdy Rock Pokemon did his best to endure every hit; after a few more strikes, he broke free of his ball form. He was slapped one last time with a vine, causing him to tumble back.

"Hang in there, Geodude!" Brock said, and his Pokemon regained his balance in the air. "Now, use Tackle!"

"You use Tackle, too, Bulbasaur!" Nigel coached.

Both Geodude and Bulbasaur raced across the rocky field directly toward each other. Their determined glares concentrated on each other, they continued to gain speed until, finally, they collided in the middle of the battlefield and shoved against each other with all their might. In the test of which Pokemon was strongest, Geodude came out the victor; he pushed the Seed Pokemon back, using his arms to hurl the Grass-type through the air.

Brock smirked, folding his arms across his chest. "Just because you have a type advantage doesn't mean you'll win. Strength and skill are more important than a Pokemon's type, and frankly, Bulbasaur seems to lack both those factors."

"_Geo,_" Geodude agreed, flexing his muscular arms.

Nigel retaliated with his own smirk. "We'll see about that. Bulbasaur, Vine Whip!"

Still sailing through the air, Bulbasaur flipped, shooting two dark green vines from the sides of his bulb once again. The attack caught Geodude off-guard; the vines wrapped tightly around the Rock-type's body and lifted him further into the air.

"Throw him as hard as you can!"

The Seed Pokemon swung Geodude through the air with his vines and threw the Rock Pokemon down with immense force. The opponent smashed into a jagged rock, crushing it into only dust and pebbles. Bulbasaur gracefully landed on his feet on the ground.

Brock gasped. "Oh, no!"

"Now, what were you saying about my Bulbasaur lacking strength and skill?" Nigel mocked. "Let's finish this up. Tackle it!"

Geodude, surrounded by a pile of pebbles and a cloud of dust, struggled to get off the ground. As the dust cleared, he opened his eyes and spotted Bulbasaur racing toward him, closing in. Before the Rock Pokemon could react, he was struck by the Grass-type's body and thrown back. Groaning in pain, he landed on the ground, unconscious.

"Geodude is unable to battle," the referee stated, throwing his arm toward Nigel's side of the field. "Bulbasaur is the winner!"

"_Yes_!" Nigel cheered, pumping his fist in the air.

"_Bul, Bulbasaur!_" Bulbasaur cried, delighted.

Smiling, he knelt down to stroke the Seed Pokemon's head. "You did great, Bulbasaur! The Boulder Badge is ours!"

"_Saurrrr!_"

Celeste giggled, happy for the other Trainer's win. "Wow, he won!"

"But the battle's not over yet," Marcus said. "Brock still has one Pokemon left, and if he's going to use the Pokemon I think he is, then this might not be easy for Nigel..."

"What Pokemon is it?" she asked, curious.

He paused, gazing at the field with concern and expectation mixed in his jade eyes. "You'll see."

"Geodude, return," Brock said, pointing Geodude's Poke Ball at the fainted Rock Pokemon. A red laser shot from the ball's center, enveloping the Pokemon and recalling it inside. The Gym Leader looked down at the Poke Ball in his hand, smiling. "You did great, so you deserve a good rest." He stuck the ball into his pocket and exchanged it for another; he smirked at Nigel and Bulbasaur. "You got lucky that time. But let's see if you can defeat the powerhouse of my team!" He tossed the ball, and it popped open in the air. The white light released from inside condensed into a giant shape that almost reached the ceiling. When the light faded, a large, gray Pokemon constructed of rock was in its place. His body was a chain of boulders in varying sizes, the largest being his head and downsizing to the tip of his tail. A rocky spine extended from the top of his head; his fierce coal black eyes glared down at the petrified Bulbasaur.

"I knew it," Marcus muttered.

Celeste stared at the colossal Pokemon in stunned silence.

"Oh, my gosh..." Nigel whispered, also shocked by his opponent's Pokemon's size.

Suddenly, the Pokemon let out a deafening roar, and everyone in the building—aside from Brock—shielded their ears and winced. The volume of the sound even caused the Gym to rumble slightly.

After the sound faded, Celeste pulled her Pokedex from her bag and flicked it open, scanning the unfamiliar Pokemon.

"_Onix, the Rock Snake Pokemon. It usually lives underground. It searches for food while boring its way through the ground at fifty miles per hour._"

"Onix looks incredibly strong," Celeste commented as she shoved the device into her bag.

"Like Brock said, Onix is the powerhouse of his team," Marcus replied.

Nigel shook off the surprise. "Size doesn't matter," he said. "Let's just do our best, okay, Bulbasaur?"

"_Saur, bulba!_" Bulbasaur replied, his ruby red eyes glimmering with confidence.

Brock chuckled. "Since the outcome of this battle is obvious, I'll let you attack first."

Nigel also laughed. "You're right, the outcome _is_ obvious. You and I both know that _I'm _going to win! Bulbasaur, use Leech Seed!"

Bulbasaur crouched, and a small, brown seed sprouted from the small opening on his bulb. He fired the seed at high speed straight at Onix.

"Dodge it," Brock said.

As the seed drew closer, Onix simply leaned to the side, the seed zipping through the air right past him.

Brock laughed. "Now use Rock Tomb!"

Onix faced the ceiling and roared, his whole body shaking. Several of the boulders that were scattered around the battlefield broke away from the ground and were raised into the air, surrounded by a dull gold aura. With another loud growl, the Rock Snake Pokemon whipped his head toward Bulbasaur; the rocks followed his movement and soared toward the Seed Pokemon. Bulbasaur cowered, waiting for the impact of the jagged boulders. Instead, the large rocks crashed around his body, forming a circular wall of stone around him that enclosed him so closely that he couldn't even budge.

"Bulbasaur!" Nigel cried, concerned.

"Finish this with Tackle!" Brock ordered.

Onix whipped his long, sturdy tail at the stone tomb that surrounded Bulbasaur. His tail crashed right through the boulders, scattering a shower of pebbles and dust. As the tomb was destroyed, the Seed Pokemon's cry was heard; moments later, he was flung from the large cloud of dust and crashed into the wall.

"Bulbasaur, no!" Nigel yelled, rushing to his exhausted Pokemon.

"Bulbasaur is unable to battle," the referee shouted, flinging his arm in Brock's direction. "Onix is the winner!"

As Nigel lifted Bulbasaur into his arms, Celeste and Marcus rushed to his side.

"Is Bulbasaur okay?" Celeste asked, her voice wavering from concern and sadness.

Bulbasaur definitely wasn't okay; his body was covered in scrapes and bruises, and he was moaning from the agony.

Marcus held out his arms. "Here, I'll take care of Bulbasaur," he offered. "You need to go finish your battle."

Nigel nodded, cautiously placing Bulbasaur into Marcus's arms. "Okay. Thank you, Marcus."

After returning to their respective spots—Celeste and Marcus on the bench with Bulbasaur, and Nigel on his side of the battlefield—Nigel drew another Poke Ball from his bag and hurled it into the air. "Pikachu, go!" When the ball burst open, the Mouse Pokemon was released in a bright flash of white light.

"_Pika!_" Pikachu said, his red cheeks sparking with electrical energy.

"Use Thundershock!"

As he stored up energy, Pikachu's cheeks crackled; finally, he released the energy in a yellow bolt of electricity. The bolt struck Onix's body, but the Rock Snake Pokemon remained unaffected.

"What?!" Nigel exclaimed, shocked.

"Thundershock didn't work," Celeste said, an eyebrow raised in confusion. "What happened?"

"Onix is a Rock- and Ground-type Pokemon," Marcus stated as he sprayed Bulbasaur's wounds with a fluid from a purple and silver bottle. "Electric-type moves like Thundershock have no effect on Ground-types."

"Onix, use Tackle!" Brock commanded.

With a growl, Onix swung his rocky tail at the Mouse Pokemon.

"Dodge it, Pikachu!" Nigel yelled, growing frustrated.

As the Rock Snake Pokemon's tail neared, Pikachu sprang into the air; the Rock-type's tail swept right underneath him.

Panicking, Nigel's cerulean eyes flickered around the battlefield, looking for some sign of hope. After examining Onix's sturdy serpentine body from the tip of his tail to the spine on his head, an idea struck his mind. "Quick! Pikachu, run up Onix's body and hold onto his head!"

Obeying his Trainer's command, Pikachu landed on Onix's tail; he scampered up the Rock Snake Pokemon's long body, holding on tightly as the larger Pokemon fidgeted in surprise. The Electric-type scaled up the remainder of the rocky surface and clung to the back of the Rock-type's head.

"Onix, use your tail to slap Pikachu off of you!" Brock ordered.

Onix growled in irritation, and then brought his tail up, swinging it toward the back of his head where Pikachu held on.

Nigel grinned. "Now, jump off!"

The Mouse Pokemon hopped off of Onix just as the opponent's tail was about to strike him. Onix gasped, but his reflexes weren't fast enough; he smacked himself with his own tail. The Rock Snake Pokemon wavered a bit before collapsing with a roar of agony, a giant cloud of dust flying up as his large body landed. Everybody gazed in awe as the dust cleared, and Onix didn't get back up.

"Onix is unable to battle," the referee announced, slightly stunned as well. He pointed in Nigel's direction. "Pikachu is the winner! And the victory goes to Nigel from Pewter City!"

"_Awwww, yeah_!" Nigel shouted, jumping with joy.

"_Chu, Pikachuuuu!_" Pikachu cried.

Bulbasaur, who was fully revived by Marcus, grinned brightly, happy for his Trainer's victory. "_Bulba saur!_"

"That was _awesome_!" Celeste cheered, clapping her hands together.

Marcus grinned as he returned his healing items to his backpack, zipping it up. "Yeah, it was pretty impressive. He's a really tough Trainer."

Brock, however, remained rooted to his spot, gazing at the battlefield in shock. "What...? How did...?" he stammered.

Nigel smirked at the Gym Leader. "Have you ever heard the phrase, 'The bigger they are, the harder they fall'? I figured the same would apply to Onix!"

Brock nodded slowly, letting the realization seep in. He pulled a Poke Ball from his pocket. "Clever." Directing the ball to Onix, he said, "You did your best, Onix. That's all that matters. And you deserve a good rest for that." A red laser shot from the ball's center and enveloped the fainted Rock Snake Pokemon, sucking him back inside. He returned the ball to his pocket and exchanged it for something else, which remained hidden in his closed fist as he approached Nigel. "That was a really fun and impressive battle. And that's why you deserve this." He extended his fist, opening it to reveal a small piece of gray metal in the shape of an octagon.

"The Boulder Badge!" Nigel gasped, carefully picking it up and examining it.

Brock smiled, giving the Trainer a thumbs-up. "If you keep coming up with strategies like that, I know you'll be able to make it to the Pokemon League!"

Nigel pulled a light green rectangular case from his backpack. He flicked it open and placed the Badge on the velvet inside. "Thank you so much, Brock!"

* * *

"Congratulations on winning your first Badge, Nigel!" Celeste said.

The three Trainers stood outside the Gym, relaxing after the exciting battle between Nigel and Brock. The day was coming to an end; the sun was beginning to sink below the horizon, causing the turquoise sky to form blending shades of yellow, orange, and red.

Marcus nodded in agreement. "It was a really impressive battle."

"Thanks! And thanks for healing my Pokemon, Marcus."

"No problem."

Celeste grinned brightly, gazing at the sky above them. "Now I _really_ want to battle Brock after seeing you battle him!" She averted her eyes to Nigel. "Hey, maybe you can watch _me_ battle him?"

Nigel frowned, shrugging. "Sorry, can't do that."

Her smile disappeared. "What?"

"I'd _love_ to sit around and watch you battle Brock..." As he said this, she swore that he heard a bit of sarcasm in his words. "...but I really want to get to Cerulean City as soon as possible to challenge the next Gym."

"Oh..."

"You know," Marcus said, "Cerulean City and its Pokemon Gym aren't going anywhere. I'm sure you can spend—"

Nigel held up a hand, interrupting him. "No, sorry, I can't. I _really _need to get to Cerulean City by tonight."

"But—"

"Look, Celeste," Nigel said, directing his full attention to her, "you and I are rivals now, okay? That's why I need to get ahead of you so you don't have any chance of beating me."

_Rivals? _Celeste thought. She giggled nervously. "Okay, then..."

"Great. See you guys some other time!" Nigel darted down the street, waving over his shoulder at them before vanishing around the corner.

Marcus sighed. "Kind of demanding, isn't he?"

Celeste nodded, and she turned around when she heard the double doors of the Gym slide open. Brock stepped out, smiling warmly at them.

"Hi," he said, approaching Celeste. "Celeste, right?"

She nodded, her expression brightening. "Yeah."

"Well, I'll have to save our challenge for tomorrow," he explained. "My Pokemon are pretty beaten up from my battle with Nigel, so I need to give them some rest. Is that okay with you?"

She felt a slight sting of disappointment, but she quickly shook it off. _Now I have something to look forward to tomorrow!_ "Sure, I'm fine with it!"

Brock grinned at her determination. "Great! See you tomorrow, then. And you better prepare yourself for our battle tomorrow, because I'm not going easy on you!" He turned and entered the Gym again, Celeste watching him excitedly as the doors automatically closed behind him.

_**To be continued...**_

* * *

**A/N: Thank you for reading! Please review!**

**~Hayley**

_**Note: Please refer to the notice on my profile before reviewing. (Don't worry. This is the last time I put that note in this story. XD )**_


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6 - First Gym Battle! Celeste vs Brock!**

"Come _on_, Marcus!" Celeste shouted over her shoulder as she darted down the streets of Pewter City. "Hurry up!"

Marcus growled under his breath, hopping forward on one foot while he jammed his black, red, and white sneaker on the other. "Why don't _you_ slow down? You barely gave me any time to get dressed!" He held up his hand that clenched his goggles, beanie, and other sneaker.

Celeste stopped in her tracks, impatiently waiting for her friend to catch up. "Well, _sorry_, but I wanted to get to the Gym as quickly as possible so I can earn my first Badge!"

Panting, Marcus approached her. He reached down and slid on his other sneaker. "The Gym's not going anywhere, so you don't have to be in such a hurry."

She sighed, cooling herself down. "You're right. I'm sorry; I'm just _really_ excited to get my first Badge..."

"It's fine," Marcus said as he covered his messy sandy brown hair with his beanie and slung his goggles around his neck. "I understand how you feel."

Now that he was finally prepared, the two moved on at a steady pace down the street. Turning the corner of the street, they found themselves outside the city's Pokemon Gym once again.

With a squeal of anticipation, Celeste raced through the Gym's automatic doors. "Hey, Brock!" she called. "I'm here for my Gym battle!"

The side door of the Gym opened; Brock entered the large room. Smiling, he approached Celeste. "Nice to see you again, Celeste! You seem excited."

As the Gym Leader spoke, Marcus walked through the front doors. "She's _really _excited," he said. "She was ready to go before I even woke up, and she didn't even let me get dressed before she made us rush here."

Brock chuckled, folding his arms across his chest. "Don't get your hopes up, Celeste. Because you probably won't be very ecstatic when you _lose_."

"_What_?!" Celeste's content expression twisted into a scowl.

With a smirk, Brock raised one of his hands in defense. "Hey, don't get mad! I'm just warning you that you're more likely to lose."

"You seem to be confused," Celeste shot back. "If anybody's going to lose, it's going to be _you_, not me."

"We'll see about that. Let's get this battle started!"

* * *

"The official Kanto League battle between Celeste, the challenger from Pallet Town, and Brock, the Pewter Gym Leader, will now begin," the referee announced after Celeste and Brock took their places on either end of the battlefield. "At stake is the Boulder Badge. Each will use two Pokemon." He threw both arms in the air in a Y-shape. "Now, let the match begin!"

Celeste drew a Poke Ball from her backpack. _Both of my Pokemon are at a disadvantage, but Charmander's Metal Claw should do the trick. Steel-type moves are very effective against Rock-types._ "Charmander, let's go!" she shouted, hurling the ball into the air. In a burst of white light from the ball, Charmander appeared, standing confidently on the rocky battlefield.

"_Mander!_" he snarled.

Brock smirked. "A _Charmander_? Wow. From all the confidence you came in here with, I thought that you had chosen either Bulbasaur or Squirtle as your first Pokemon. This should be _very _easy." He pulled a Poke Ball from his pocket and tossed it. "Geodude, go!" The ball burst open, releasing a white light that formed the Rock Pokemon, who levitated over the battlefield, flexing his muscular arms.

"_Dude, Geodude!_" he said.

Without skipping a beat, Brock commanded, "Geodude, start off with Tackle!"

Geodude raced through the air, his glare focused on Charmander.

"Stop him in his tracks with Ember!" Celeste said.

As the Rock Pokemon neared, Charmander opened his jaws and fired a barrage of fire balls at the speeding opponent. The embers struck his rocky skin, singing him slightly; he winced, but continued onward. He slammed his body against the Lizard Pokemon, knocking the wind out of him.

Celeste grunted. _Didn't expect that_. "We can't lose! Charmander, Metal Claw!"

After regaining his footing, Charmander darted across the rocky terrain, his white claws glowing silver.

"Quick, use Defense Curl!" Brock yelled.

Geodude braced his arms around his round body just as Charmander began slashing at him with his gleaming claws.

"Great, keep it up!" Celeste said.

"Hang in there, Geodude!" Brock encouraged.

The Rock Pokemon moaned in pain, doing his best to endure his opponent's quick scratches. He began to tremble, unable to hold on any longer.

"I'm getting tired of this," Brock snarled. "Wait until the right time and use Tackle!"

As Charmander slashed Geodude one last time and drew his other arm back for another strike, the Rock-type broke free of his defensive stance and hurled himself at the Lizard Pokemon.

"_Charrrrrr!_" Charmander cried as he was sent tumbling backward.

"Charmander!" Celeste shouted, her hands jolting up to cover her mouth in shock and concern.

The Fire-type regained his balanced with a grunt, scowling at Geodude. His forehead dripped with sweat, and he panted from the exhaustion.

Brock chuckled. "Charmander seems to be getting tired. Let's finish him with Tackle!"

Geodude obliged, racing through the air, his glaring eyes fixed on Charmander, who remained rooted to his spot.

"Just wait for it..." Celeste whispered, her aquamarine eyes following Geodude's position as he sped across the battlefield, growing closer and closer to Charmander.

Even though he sensed that his Trainer had a plan up her sleeve, Charmander winced, bracing himself in anticipation.

When the Rock-type came within a foot of the Lizard Pokemon, Celeste shouted, "Dodge it!"

Right as Geodude's body was about to strike Charmander, the Fire-type took a quick step to the left; his opponent soared right past him and froze in his path, stunned.

"Now," Celeste commanded, "use Metal Claw!"

His claws glowing, Charmander swung his arm at the Rock Pokemon with all the power he could muster. His claw roughly struck Geodude atop his sturdy head. The powerful impact sent the Rock Pokemon flying across the field.

"Geodude, no!" Brock cried as his Pokemon collapsed onto the rocky terrain before him, unconscious.

"Geodude is unable to battle," the referee stated. He pointed toward Celeste's side of the field. "Charmander is the winner!"

"_Char, mander!_" Charmander cried, hopping with joy.

Celeste smiled. "Awesome! You did amazing, Charmander!" She glanced up at Brock, who had just recalled Geodude to his Poke Ball and already had a second one in hand. Her smile quickly faded, an anxious frown replacing it. "But this match isn't over yet..."

"Onix, let's go!" Brock called as he hurled the Poke Ball. It popped open, releasing a waterfall of light that condensed to form Onix, who let out an ear-shattering roar.

Marcus let out a moan from his spot on the sidelines, his thoughts conflicting: one part of him had confidence that Celeste could win, but another part compared her experience in Pokemon battles to Brock's and _knew _that there was only a small chance that she could win. He propped his elbows on his knees, resting his forehead upon his open hands. "I don't think I can watch..." he muttered.

"I believe you've met my Onix before, right?" Brock said, his tone mocking. "I warned you not to get your hopes up, Celeste, so don't act so surprised when you lose."

Celeste smirked. "I'll have you know that the word 'lose' isn't in my vocabulary! Charmander, Metal Claw!"

Brock chuckled, shaking his head. "Suit yourself. Onix, use Tackle!"

Charmander raced across the field, claws glowing a bright silver, arm drawn back in preparation to strike. As he closed in on Onix, the Rock-type swung his long, rocky tail at him. The Fire-type leaped into the air, remaining unharmed as the foe's tail swept right under him; he slashed his claws multiple times into Onix's sturdy body. The Rock Snake Pokemon roared in pain.

"Quick, use Bind while he's close!" Brock ordered.

Before Charmander could take off, Onix caught him by coiling his body around him. The Rock-type's grip tightened; the Lizard Pokemon groaned in agony as all of his breath was squeezed from him.

"Charmander!" Celeste cried. _Oh, no. What do I do now? There's no way Charmander can escape that!_

"Now, Onix, throw Charmander!"

The Rock Snake Pokemon, with his tail still wrapped firmly around Charmander, swung the lower half of his body, hurling the Fire-type into the ground. A large cloud of dust was produced from the impact; when it cleared, Charmander laid unmoving on the ground.

"_No_! Charmander!" Celeste shrieked, racing to her fainted Pokemon's side.

"Charmander is unable to battle," the referee announced, hurling in his arm in Brock's direction. "Onix is the winner!"

"Charmander," Celeste muttered, her voice wavering as she cradled Charmander in her arms, "are you okay?"

Charmander's sapphire eyes fluttered open, his body shuddering from the pain of performing the simple action. "_Mander, char..._"

Celeste drew a Poke Ball from her bag, pointing it at the Lizard Pokemon. "Thank you for doing your best. You did great, so you deserve a good rest." A red laser shot from the center of the ball, sucking the fainted Pokemon inside.

_This battle is going rough,_ Celeste told herself as she returned to her place at the end of the field. _What am I going to do now? The only strategy I had relied on Charmander's Metal Claw. I only have Caterpie now, and she's at a disadvantage. I don't think String Shot will be able to hold such a large Pokemon like Onix, and—_

"_Hey_!" the referee shouted, snapping her from her thoughts. "If you don't send out your next Pokemon right now, you'll be forced to forfeit!"

She giggled. "Oh, right. Sorry about that!" She pulled a Poke Ball from her bag, gazing at it with a mix of worry, discouragement, and determination. "I'm counting on you. Please help us out. Go, Caterpie!" She tossed the ball, and a white light flooded out when it popped open. The light formed a shape and faded, leaving Caterpie in its place.

"_Piiii?_" Caterpie muttered, glancing around in confusion. When she noticed Onix towering over her, she braced her body, shuddering. "_Piiiiiii!_"

"Caterpie, don't be scared!" Celeste said. "Just try your best! I know you can do it!"

Brock sighed. "You know, it's really hard for me to take you seriously now. Did you actually _plan_ to lose?"

"Of course not!" Celeste snapped, her anger boiling. "Remember what you said when you battled Nigel? Strength and skill are more important than type advantage."

Brock nodded slowly. "True, I did say that. But it doesn't apply in this case. I don't think your battling style includes strength or skill at all. It's just spirit and a few lucky tricks. Sure, those qualities might help you a little, but in the end, it's almost _always _how strong and how skilled you and your Pokemon are."

A sharp pain struck Celeste in her chest. _He's right. This whole battle so far has just been good luck and confidence. _But she didn't let her discouragement show through. "I'll show you! I plan to win, and that's that! Caterpie, wrap up Onix with String Shot!"

A white thread shot from Caterpie's mouth at her Trainer's command. Onix barely flinched as the thread wrapped securely around his tail.

"Nice try," Brock said with a chuckle, "but it's hard to constrict a Pokemon like Onix. Use Tackle!"

With a roar, Onix tried to lift his tail high into the air... but he couldn't move. His roar broke off in surprise; he glanced down at his wrapped-up tail. The thick, white string had not only wrapped around his tail, but it also bound around one of the large, jagged boulders that jutted from the battlefield, constricting his movement.

"What?!" Brock exclaimed, also noticing what left the Rock Snake Pokemon immobile.

Celeste's mouth stretched up into a slight smile. _Guess we got lucky again. Now I'll try to show him how strong and skilled Caterpie and I are! _"Now Caterpie, use Tackle!"

Caterpie raced across the field toward Onix as he tried to break the thread that constricted his tail. When she got close, she hopped onto a rock and sprang at the Rock-type. Her head struck just beneath his head, knocking the wind out of him.

"Great job, Caterpie!" Celeste said. "Keep using Tackle!"

The Worm Pokemon fell and landed on another boulder; she turned and leaped once again, slamming into Onix's body. She continued this pattern of landing, attacking, and falling, each strike being more powerful than the last.

"Hang in there, Onix!" Brock encouraged. "Next time Caterpie jumps at you, knock her away!"

Onix obliged, shaking off the pain from the attacks. Caterpie touched down on another rock, and moments later, she was already racing through the air toward his head. When she got close enough, he whipped his head, knocking her from the air. She screeched in pain; before she could hit the ground, she twisted her body in the air and safely landed on her feet.

"Caterpie, are you okay?" Celeste asked.

Caterpie nodded, glaring at her opponent with determination. "_Pi!_"

Onix groaned as he wiggled his body, trying to break free from the thick string that constricted his tail. With a quick jerk, the string ripped to pieces. The Rock-type roared with triumph.

The Worm Pokemon's confidence quickly faded, and she shrank back, shivering. "_Piiiiiii..._"

"Don't be afraid, Caterpie!" Celeste encouraged. "Onix may be bigger, but he's growing tired. A few more hits and we could win." She grinned. "I believe in you, Caterpie. I know you're strong. I know you can win this!"

"_Piiiii..._" Caterpie groaned, squeezing her eyes shut and hunching forward. Suddenly, her body became shrouded in a white glow.

Brock gasped. "No way..."

"What's going on?" Celeste muttered, blinking in confusion.

"Celeste," Marcus called from the sidelines, "Caterpie's evolving!"

_Evolving...?_

As she watched, Caterpie's glowing body seemed to change shape, with some parts vanishing as other parts grew. Her body stopped glowing after a few moments, and the light enveloping her body faded, revealing a Pokemon that looked much different than Caterpie. The Pokemon's serpentine shape remained, but her caterpiller-like body now seemed to resemble a green chrysalis with two black, half-closed eyes.

"What happened?" Celeste wondered. "That doesn't look like Caterpie at all..."

"Caterpie evolved into Metapod," Marcus called. "When Pokemon become stronger, they evolve. Pokemon are said to become stronger than before after they've evolved."

Still puzzled, Celeste drew her Pokedex from her bag, flicking it open as she directed it at the unfamiliar Pokemon that was once Caterpie. "So... Caterpie became a different Pokemon?"

"_Metapod, the Cocoon Pokemon. Even though it is encased in a sturdy shell, the body inside is tender. It can't withstand a harsh attack._"

"I still don't understand what just happened," she said, "but it sounds awesome! Great job, Cater—I mean, Metapod!"

The Cocoon Pokemon's body shook slightly in delight.

Brock smirked. "Whatever. You're not going to win just because Caterpie evolved. Onix, Tackle!"

"Dodge it, Metapod!"

Onix lifted his tail high into the air and threw it down with all his might. Eyes wide with terror, Metapod turned to the side and fired a long, white thread at a nearby rock. The thread stuck to the rock's jagged surface; it drew in the Bug-type, swinging her out of the way just before Onix's tail crashed into the ground, sending up a large cloud of dust.

"Celeste, check your Pokedex!" Marcus shouted. "Metapod should've learned a new move!"

"_Hey_!" the referee scolded. "Giving advice to the challenger is considered cheating and is not allowed. One more outburst and she will forfeit!"

Sulking, Marcus leaned back against the wall, grumbling under his breath.

Pokedex already in hand, Celeste directed the small device to Metapod.

"_Metapod's moves are String Shot, Tackle, and Harden,_" the Pokedex's electronic voice informed.

_Marcus was right. She must've learned Harden when she evolved. But what does Harden do...? _She slipped her Pokedex back into her backpack.

"Use Tackle again!" Brock commanded.

_Guess we'll just have to find out. _"Metapod, Harden!"

As Onix hurled his tail at Metapod, the Bug-type's body stiffened and began to glow a greenish-white color. The tail crashed down, sending a cloud of dust and rubble into the air. However, when the dust cleared, Metapod appeared unharmed.

_So that's what Harden does! _Celeste thought. _It leaves the Pokemon unharmed by attacks!_

"Onix, Rock Tomb!" Brock ordered.

The Rock Snake Pokemon lifted his head to the ceiling and roared. Several boulders on the battlefield became surrounded in a dull gold aura and broke away from the ground, rising into the air. He swung his head toward Metapod, and the rocks followed his movement, hurling through the air toward the Bug-type. She flinched as the rocks formed a circular wall around her. The boulders that surrounded her left her with so little space that she was left immobile.

Brock smirked. "Now let's finish this up. Use Tackle!"

"Quick, use Harden!" Celeste shouted.

Inside the rocky wall, Metapod's body shimmered with a greenish-white light as Onix, fiercely and swiftly, threw his tail down on her. Another cloud of dust, accompanied by a shower of rubble, erupted from the impact, shrouding the entire battlefield.

Everyone's eyes gazed at the battlefield in anticipation as the dust cloud gradually faded away.

In the large crater formed from the impact of Onix's tail, Metapod laid twitching, her eyes squeezed shut from the agony. Then she remained still.

"Metapod!" Celeste cried.

"Metapod is unable to battle," the referee announced. He pointed his arm in Brock's direction. "Onix is the winner! And the victory goes to Brock, the Pewter City Gym Leader!"

Marcus sighed, rising to his feet. "Oh, no..."

Celeste sank to her knees, hanging her head. Hot tears welled in her aquamarine eyes; she shut her eyes tightly, forcing them to stop. _Don't cry. Crying is for wimps. _She gulped, lifting her head to the field.

Metapod struggled to a standing position and bounded over to her Trainer, gazing sadly up at her.

Celeste smiled. "I'm fine, Metapod," she reassured. She gently stroked the Bug-type's smooth shell. "You did your best, and that's all that counts. I'm proud of you." She pulled a Poke Ball from her bag and pointed it at her Pokemon. "You deserve a good rest." A red streak of light was fired from the center of the ball, enveloping the Cocoon Pokemon and sucking her inside.

Brock, having already recalled his Onix, paced across the battlefield toward her. "That was actually a pretty entertaining battle." He held out his hand to her. "I'm sorry if I was too hard on you."

With a warm smile, Celeste took his hand, using it to hoist herself onto her feet. "It's fine. My Pokemon and I put our best effort into the battle." She giggled. "I guess we just need to train a little more."

Brock returned a grin. "Well, whenever you feel you're ready, feel free to come back for a rematch. I'll be looking forward to it!"

"Thanks, Brock." She clenched her fist in front of her in determination. "And trust me: next time, I'll win!"

_**To be continued...**_

* * *

**A/N: I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Thank you for reading, and please leave a review! :)**

**~Hayley**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Since it's my birthday today, I decided to post this chapter. I know it's a bit odd to post something for my ****_own _****birthday, but this is more of my gift to those of you who enjoy reading this story. The fact that people enjoy my writing is enough of a gift for me. :)**

**Okay, the cheesy author's notes are done. I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

* * *

**Chapter 7 - Improvement**

"Okay, Celeste," Marcus said, "let's try to work on some of your battling skills before your rematch."

The duo returned to Route 2, just along the outskirts of Pewter City and close to the boundaries of Viridian Forest. The hot afternoon sun beat down on them from above, not a single cloud in the clear turquoise sky to block its rays.

Celeste nodded. "Sounds good to me."

Marcus's eyes began wandering around their surroundings. "So, let's just wait here for a wild Pokemon to show up so you can—"

"Hold on."

"What's wrong?" He turned to face her again; he noticed she was looking at him with a face that expressed both hope and uncertainty.

She flashed him a pleading smile. "Can I have a battle against _you_?"

Marcus blinked. "Um..."

"_Please_?" Celeste clasped her hands in front of her in a begging gesture; her aquamarine eyes widened to resemble an innocent baby Growlithe's. "You're much more skilled at battling than I am. Heck, your skill matches that of a Gym Leader like Brock! So, it'd be good practice for me."

He chuckled slightly, his cheeks turning a light shade of pink. "Well, I wouldn't say I'm _that _good at battling... But, sure. I'll battle you."

* * *

"So this will be a two-on-two battle, just like at the Gym," Celeste called to Marcus from across the distance that they made to make room for their battle. "Is that okay with you?"

Marcus nodded once as he pulled a Poke Ball from his backpack. "Fine by me. Rattata, go!" He hurled the ball into the air. It burst open in a flash of white light, which condensed to form a shape. When the light vanished, Rattata stood on the grassy field in its place.

"_Raaaaaa!_" she hissed.

"Awesome choice!" Celeste said. She yanked her own ball from her backpack and tossed it. "Let's go, Metapod!" As it soared through the air, the ball popped open, releasing a flood of white light. When the light faded, Metapod appeared on the field.

Marcus raised his hand slightly. "Before we start, I'd just like to say something, and don't take this the wrong way. Celeste, I think you should use this as a chance to work on an actual strategy. It will be good for you to plan ahead before you go back for a rematch, rather than going with the flow of the battle and hoping you win—which, honestly, is what your battle earlier seemed to be. And since you now know all of Brock's strategies, it will be good for you to come up with your own to counter them."

Celeste nodded slowly, letting the advice seep in. _"Going with the flow of the battle and hoping you win," _her thoughts echoed. _That's kind of like what Brock said—that I rely on my confidence and a little good luck when I should try to use my Pokemon's strengths to come up with strategies to use in battle. But what would be a good strategy for Metapod to use? Harden can help protect her from too much damage, String Shot can keep the opponent from moving, and—_

"Celeste!"

She jumped at the sound of her name. "What?!"

Marcus smirked playfully at her, folding his arms over his chest. "Did you zone out _again_?"

With a nervous giggle, she shrugged. "I guess I did. Sorry! But I think I've come up with a good strategy to use."

"Great! Let's see how it works out! Rattata, use Quick Attack!"

At her Trainer's command, Rattata darted toward Metapod. She quickly picked up speed; in less than a second, she was already one foot away from Metapod.

"Quick, Metapod!" Celeste yelled. "Harden!"

The Cocoon Pokemon's green shell gleamed, shrouding her in a greenish-whitish light just as Rattata slammed head-first into her. The Mouse Pokemon bounced off the Bug-type's rock-solid shell, stumbling a bit from the pain the impact caused.

"Oh," Marcus said, his jade eyes growing slightly bigger with realization, "I think I see what you're trying to do..."

Celeste nodded. "Yeah, it's part of the strategy I came up with. Whenever the opponent attacks, Metapod will use Harden to protect herself from any harm." As she said this, the scene from the day's earlier battle where Metapod was crushed by Onix's tail—despite using Harden—replayed through her mind. She frowned. "I guess it won't work in some cases, though..."

Marcus averted his eyes downward, slowly nodding his head. "I know what you mean..." After a moment's thought, he looked back up at her, his expression more hopeful. "Remember how Metapod used String Shot to dodge? You could always use that, too."

Celeste grinned, her eyes brightening in realization. "Oh, you're right! And I can add that to my strategy..."

"So let's continue this battle and see how it works out! Rattata, Scratch!"

Rattata scurried toward Metapod, getting a good running start. When she was about a foot away from the Cocoon Pokemon, she leaped, drawing her sharp claws back and hissing at her target.

"Metapod, String Shot!" Celeste cried.

Panicking, Metapod glanced to her left; she spotted a rugged rock a couple of yards away. She fired a strip of thick, white thread from her mouth, wrapping it securely around the rock. She then yanked herself toward it, her body moving just as Rattata's claws swiped the air where she once was.

Celeste laughed, pumping her fist in victory. "Yeah, it worked!"

Metapod hopped joyously in her place, but she stopped when she caught a glimpse of Rattata, who was panting and glaring daggers at the Cocoon Pokemon.

"Now, use Harden again!"

Metapod's body stiffened as it began to glow a greenish-white; this time, the light seemed more intense than before.

"Wow," Marcus said, scratching his chin, "Metapod's Defense seems to be raising pretty high."

Celeste raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"The move Harden raises a Pokemon's Defense, which means it will be able to withstand more hits than it normally would."

"Really? Awesome! This strategy is _really _working out."

Marcus grinned and nodded. "That's the whole purpose of this battle. Now let's cut the chit-chat and get back to it! Rattata, use Scratch, once more!"

"_Raaaaat!_" the Mouse Pokemon cried, leaping toward Metapod. Her claws drawn back to strike, she descended down on the Cocoon Pokemon.

"Dodge it again, Metapod!" Celeste commanded.

Metapod obliged, taking aim at an overhanging tree branch. She shot a strip of silk string from her mouth and, after securing it around the branch, swung away. Rattata crashed on the ground where the Bug-type once stood.

"Celeste, you know you can't just keep avoiding attacks, right?" Marcus pointed out. "You have to actually _attack_."

Celeste giggled. "I know that, Marcus. Like I said, I've got this all planned out. And it's working."

"If you say so. Rattata, use—" Marcus cut himself off, glancing around the field in confusion, and Rattata did the same. Metapod was nowhere in sight. "Where's Metapod?"

With a satisfied smile, Celeste looked up at the tree whose branch Metapod had previously used to dodge. "Metapod!" she called, and the leaves rustled in response. "Use Tackle!"

Suddenly, the Cocoon Pokemon leaped out from the leaves, soaring down like a green torpedo toward Rattata. The Mouse Pokemon barely had time to react before her opponent crashed into her; she cried out in pain.

"Rattata!" Marcus cried worriedly.

The Normal-type staggered a bit, trying to remain standing, but then collapsed onto the dirt. Marcus rushed to her side, kneeling beside her.

"Rattata, are you okay?" He carefully stroked her soft, purple fur as she looked up at him.

"_Raaa,_" she replied with a nod, smiling.

He returned a warm smile, drawing her Poke Ball from his backpack. "Thank you for helping out Celeste. You did a great job, and you deserve a good rest." A red laser shot from the center of the ball, enveloping the Mouse Pokemon and slurping her inside. Marcus returned the ball to his bag and then dug around inside the pocket. "That was great practice, Celeste! But let's have one more round against Bellsprout—"

"Wait!" Celeste interrupted, causing Marcus to jump. "How about I go against Fearow instead?"

"Um... are you sure?"

"Positive! Since Metapod's a Bug-type and she's at a disadvantage against Brock's Rock-types, she would get better practice against a Pokemon she's at a disadvantage against. And Bug-types are weak against Flying-types, right?"

Marcus nodded, pulling out another Poke Ball. "Right. Suit yourself. Fearow, let's go!" He tossed the ball into the air, and it burst open, a white light flooding out. When the light faded, the Beak Pokemon fluttered in its place.

"_Rooooowwwww!_" Fearow crowed.

"Hey, Fearow," Marcus said, "we're just going to help Celeste with her battling skills. So... try not to go all-out, okay? Tone it down a little."

"_Row._" Fearow nodded in agreement.

Celeste smiled down at Metapod, clenching her fists in determination. "You ready, Metapod?"

Metapod wobbled back and forth, confidence in her onyx eyes.

"Great! Let's give it our all! Now, start off with String Shot!"

"Dodge it, Fearow!" Marcus commanded.

After taking aim at her target, Metapod fired a long, silk thread from her mouth. Fearow remained still, waiting for the attack to near; when it was close, he fluttered out of the way. The thread fell uselessly onto the dirt.

"Now use Peck!"

"Defend yourself with Harden!" Celeste coached.

With swift speed, Fearow soared along the ground. The Cocoon Pokemon stiffened, her green shell shimmering brightly in a pale green light. The Flying-type stabbed her with his sharp beak, but she remained strong.

"Keep on attacking!" Marcus said. "Fury Attack!"

"Use Harden again!"

As Fearow's beak repeatedly jabbed her with a quick rhythm, Metapod's shell began to shine more intensely than before. She winced; her defense still didn't ease the pain.

"Stay strong, Metapod!" Celeste encouraged.

The Beak Pokemon's attacking ceased, and he retreated, breathing heavily as beads of sweat formed on his head. The glow emanating from Metapod's body faded.

Celeste pumped her fist in the air. "Great! Fearow's getting tired. Now, Metapod, hit him with Tackle!"

The Cocoon Pokemon didn't respond.

"Metapod?" Celeste frowned.

Again, no response. The Bug-type tipped over onto her side.

"_Metapod_!" Celeste gasped, falling to her knees at her Pokemon's side. She shook her head in dismay as she cradled Metapod in her arms. "I don't understand. I thought Harden was supposed to protect her..."

"Actually," Marcus pointed out, "Harden just raises a Pokemon's _Defense_. It doesn't protect it; it just allows the user to endure more hits."

Celeste sighed, gazing down at Metapod apologetically. "I'm so sorry, Metapod..."

"You're not the one who should be sorry," Marcus said, rubbing the back of his neck. "We got a little bit carried away, so it's our fault. Sorry."

Fearow fluttered over to Celeste's side. He lowered his head slightly, a sorrowful croon sounding from his throat.

A small smile tugged at the edges of Celeste's lips. "It's okay, guys." She drew a Poke Ball from her backpack and directed it at the unconscious Bug-type. "Thank you for all your hard work. That practice will help us win our first Badge. Now, you deserve a good rest." A red beam shot from the ball's center, enveloping Metapod and sucking her inside.

Marcus grinned at her as she rose to her feet. "So, what do you say, Celeste? One more practice round?"

She returned a confident smile, pulling another ball from her bag. "You bet. Go, Charmander!" After hurling the ball, it popped open, releasing a flood of white light that condensed into the Lizard Pokemon.

"_Manderrrr!_" Charmander cried.

"Look, Marcus," Celeste declared, "I won't be going easy this time, and I don't want you to, either. We should both go all-out this time!"

Marcus chuckled. "You're really determined, Celeste. And that's what I've always liked about you. Let's give this our all for her, Fearow!"

"_Rowwwww!_" Fearow crowed, stretching out his wings.

"Charmander," Celeste said, "use Ember!"

"Dodge it!" Marcus commanded.

With a loud cry, Charmander opened his jaws wide and fired an array of fiery orbs at Fearow. The Beak Pokemon fluttered out of the way before the balls of fire could strike, allowing them to hit the ground where he once was.

"Now, Fearow, Pursuit!"

Targeting Charmander with his fierce onyx eyes, the Flying-type soared toward the Lizard Pokemon, skimming along the ground.

"Charmander, counter it with Metal Claw!" Celeste yelled.

Once Fearow drew in close, Charmander raised his claws, and they began to glow silver. The Beak Pokemon's body twisted slightly, his wing about to strike Charmander; the Fire-type slashed at his opponent's wing with his gleaming claws.

"_Feaaarrrowwwwww!_" Fearow cried in agony, collapsing onto the ground.

"Use Ember!"

Once again, the Lizard Pokemon's mouth opened wide, and millions of flaming spheres shot out from his throat. The spheres scorched the wounded Flying-type, causing him to let out a screech of pain.

"Fearow!" Marcus cried worriedly.

Groaning, Fearow twitched slightly, trying to heave himself off of the ground. His eyes were squeezed shut, but one of them opened wide and glinted. Noticing this, Marcus grinned.

"I knew I didn't have to worry. Now, get up and use Fury Attack!"

As commanded, Fearow rose into the air, gliding at a rapid speed. He reached Charmander almost instantly; his beak began prodding the Lizard Pokemon.

"_Charrrrrrr!_" Charmander shrieked.

"Quick, Charmander!" Celeste exclaimed. "Get out of the way!"

Between quick pecks, Charmander managed to endure the pain long enough to obey his Trainer. He took a quick side-step, avoiding Fearow's beak.

"Now use Scratch!"

Charmander swiped his claws at the Beak Pokemon, cutting him along the right side of his face. Fearow screeched.

"Fearow, Pursuit!" Marcus cried.

Glaring darkly at his opponent, Fearow twisted his body in Charmander's direction, his wing knocking the Fire-type off of his feet.

"Follow it up with Peck!"

The Flying-type obliged, stabbing Charmander with his sharp beak. The Lizard Pokemon cried out in agony.

"Charmander, no!" Celeste shouted.

On his back in the dirt, Charmander struggled to stand up, groaning.

"Please get up, Charmander. You can do it!"

Celeste's encouragement didn't do much good; the Fire-type fainted. With a disappointed sigh, she collapsed onto her knees.

"Don't be so down, Celeste," Marcus reassured, approaching her. "It was only a practice battle. You may not have won, but I can tell you've improved from it."

Celeste smiled, her aquamarine eyes brightening. "You really think so?"

He nodded.

"So... do you think I'm ready to challenge Brock again?"

His response was a soft chuckle. "I think the real question is, 'Do _you_ think you're ready?'"

Celeste casted her eyes downward, giving the question deep consideration. _Am I ready? I think I have the strategies I wanted to use down, but they didn't seem to work well during this practice battle. Will they work out against Brock?_

"Celeste?" Marcus said.

She looked back up at him, smiling. "I'm ready."

* * *

Marcus awoke with a start in the middle of the night, jolting upright in his bed. He blinked a few times, allowing his vision to clear as he glanced around the darkened room. Once his eyesight adjusted, he exhaled.

"What a weird dream..." he muttered. "Hey, Celeste." He turned to the opposite side of the room, where Celeste's bed was.

Only, Celeste wasn't in it.

"Celeste?" Marcus cocked an eyebrow. "Where could she have gone...?"

He kicked away the covers and threw his legs over the edge of the bed. Still drowsy, he staggered a bit on his feet, but he managed to regain his footing as he made his way out the door and down the hallway.

"Celeste?" he said softly as he entered the Pokemon Center's lobby. His voice echoed through the empty room. He continued through the room, glancing around as he did so. When he reached the doors, they automatically slid open before him; he stepped out into the brisk night air. "Celeste?" he repeated.

"What?" The feminine voice came from right beside him.

He jumped and faced the voice's source. Celeste sat on a bench right beside the doors of the Pokemon Center, an open notebook and pencil in her hands.

"Oh, hey," Marcus said. "What are you doing out here?"

"I couldn't sleep. Too excited for tomorrow." As she said this, she returned her attention to the open page in front of her, scrawling words onto the lines of the paper.

He sat down next to her, looking up at the night sky. The full moon was set in the middle of the dark blue expanse, its light illuminating the darkness; millions of stars twinkled like diamonds around it. After admiring it for a few moments, he faced Celeste, eyeing her notebook. "What are you writing?"

Suddenly, the notebook's cover slammed over the half-written page. Celeste held it away from him. "Nothing..."

Marcus chuckled, leaning forward to get a closer look. "Come on," he urged, "you can tell me."

She hesitated for a moment, holding her breath. Then she exhaled and handed the notebook to him. "It's just... a story I'm working on."

"You write stories?" he asked, opening the book and beginning to read.

She nodded. "Yeah. I've always had an active imagination and would come up with some pretty crazy ideas. So, when I was seven, I started to put those ideas on paper. I actually just did it so I would never forget them, but after a while, they started to become short stories. And I've been writing them ever since."

"You're really good at it." Marcus's jade eyes continued skimming over the words on the page. "Have you thought about becoming an author?"

"Thanks, Marcus." Celeste smiled, gazing intensely up at the sky. "If I don't become a Pokemon Master someday, I'd still be happy as a best-selling author..."

As he finished reading, he smiled, closing the notebook and handing it back to her. "Well, Celeste, I believe that you can become whatever you set out to be."

* * *

"Celeste, _slow down_!" Marcus cried, running about a yard behind Celeste down the streets of Pewter City. "You don't have to be in such a rush! I don't think the Gym's even _open_ yet!"

Celeste sighed in annoyance, coming to a halt and facing him. "At least be grateful I let you get dressed this morning."

He stopped in front of her, panting. "I _am _grateful. But I'd also be grateful if I didn't have to exercise first thing in the morning."

"_Sorry_," she scoffed, and they continued onward at a steady pace.

When they turned the corner of the street that led to the Gym, they saw Brock outside the front doors, sticking a key inside the lock.

"_Brock_!" Celeste shouted, making the Gym Leader jump in surprise. She darted toward him, grinning brightly and waving.

"Oh, hey, Celeste," Brock greeted with a grin. "I expected to see you here so early. Can't wait to lose?"

She laughed, folding her arms across her chest. "Trust me, Brock, _I'm_ not going to be the one losing today. Now, how about we begin with that rematch you promised me?"

He smirked. "You're on."

* * *

"The official Kanto League battle between Celeste, the challenger from Pallet Town, and Brock, the Pewter Gym Leader, will now begin," the referee announced once Celeste and Brock had taken their places at each side of the battlefield. "At stake is the Boulder Badge. Each will use two Pokemon." He raised both his arms in a Y-shape. "Now, let the match _begin_!"

"I hope you're ready Celeste," Brock called across the field, a Poke Ball already in hand, "because I'm not going to hold back. Go, Geodude!" After he flung the ball, it popped open. A waterfall of white light leaked out from the inside, condensing into the form of the Rock Pokemon before fading.

"_Dude, Geo dude!_" Geodude cried, flexing his muscular arms.

Celeste laughed as she drew out a ball from her bag. "Do you honestly think that, if I wasn't ready, I would be challenging you again? Allow me to show you how much I've improved since the other day. Metapod, let's go!" She tossed the ball into the air. Light flooded out from inside when it popped open, forming into the shape of Metapod before fading.

"Metapod again?" Brock smiled. "You're actually starting to make me curious about what you have up your sleeve. Now, enough of this chit-chat—show me how much you really _have _improved."

"Gladly. Metapod, Harden!"

Metapod's body stiffened, her green shell beginning to glow a pale green.

"Oh, I see," Brock muttered. "You're raising Defense to protect against taking too much damage, aren't you? With just one move, you've already shown me how much you've learned. Geodude, start off with Tackle!"

Geodude raced across the rocky field, slamming his sturdy body against Metapod once he reached her. The impact caused her to skid backward, but she stood like a stone, almost unaffected.

The Gym Leader smiled again. "Metapod has some pretty good Defense, just like a Rock-type! But let's see how many hits she can endure. Keep using Tackle, Geodude!"

Once again, Geodude tackled Metapod, and continued to strike her again, and again, and again. With each hit, the Cocoon Pokemon was pushed a little farther back; eventually, she began to wince as the pain became apparent.

"Metapod, use Harden again!" Celeste commanded. "You have to hang in there!"

The light emanating from Metapod's body brightened, and as it did so, she began to steady herself without being shoved back with each hit she sustained from her Rock-type opponent.

"The battle seems to be going well so far," Marcus muttered from his seat on the sidelines. "Geodude is going to get tired eventually, and Metapod is enduring each hit and not taking much damage." A smile creeped across his face. "Celeste really _has _improved since the day I first met her."

Just as Marcus predicted, Geodude stopped slamming into the Cocoon Pokemon and retreated, panting heavily.

Celeste pumped her fist. _Great! Now Metapod can attack! _"Now, Metapod, use Tackle!"

While Geodude was recovering, Metapod lunged out at him, slamming her body against his. With a loud grunt, the Rock-type tumbled back into the dust.

"Geodude," Brock called, "get up!"

_Let's make sure he can't attack, _Celeste thought. "Metapod, wrap him up with String Shot!"

Groaning, the Rock Pokemon staggered to lift himself from the ground; the Bug-type fired a white thread of silk from her mouth at him. The thread wrapped itself securely around his round body, pinning his arms to his sides as well as to the ground. Both Geodude and Brock gasped.

"_Yes_!" Celeste cheered. "Now, hit him with a Tackle attack!"

"Geodude, you have to break free!" Brock encouraged.

The Rock-type obliged; as Metapod bounded toward him, gaining momentum, he wrestled against the silk string that constricted him. However, his efforts were cut short when the Cocoon Pokemon struck him.

"Hang in there, Geodude!" Brock yelled. "Keep trying to break the string!"

"Don't give him the chance to break it, Metapod! Continue hitting him with Tackle!"

Metapod, obeying her Trainer's orders, repeatedly threw her body against Geodude's, his hard body gradually starting to cause her pain with each strike. Between blows, Geodude used every bit of strength in him to attempt to rip the string apart. After a while, the silk began to weaken and gradually tear. The Rock-type winced from the pain of exerting so much force and being struck continually. The strong thread completely tore off, but he barely had a chance to move before Metapod slammed against him, the impact throwing him back onto the ground again.

"Geodude!" Brock cried, concerned.

Geodude did not respond, nor did he move. He remained on the ground, unconscious.

"Geodude is unable to battle," the referee announced, throwing his arm toward Celeste's respective side of the battlefield. "Metapod is the winner!"

"_Woo-hoo_!" Celeste cheered, hopping into the air in victory. Happily, Metapod hopped into her arms; she embraced the Bug-type, beaming. "That was awesome, Metapod! You've become so strong!"

With a sigh, Brock drew out a Poke Ball, directing it at the fainted Rock-type. "Geodude, return," he said, and a red laser shot out from the ball's center, enveloping Geodude and slurping him inside. The Gym Leader smiled, gazing down at the ball in his hand. "You did a great job, and that's why you deserve a good rest." He returned the Poke Ball to his pocket, exchanging it for another; when he redirected his attention to the field, his smile vanished and morphed into a serious expression. "Did you think this match was over, Celeste? Because it's not—actually, I'm just getting started! Go, Onix!" He tossed the ball, and it burst open in the air, releasing a flood of white light that formed the Rock Snake Pokemon before fading.

Celeste gulped as the colossal Pokemon roared, the sound causing the whole Gym to shake. To calm her nerves, she heaved a deep breath and slowly exhaled. _I can do this... _She pulled a Poke Ball from her bag and looked down at the Bug-type in her arms. "Thank you so much for all your hard work, Metapod. You can take a break now. You deserve it." Directing the ball at Metapod, she was sucked back inside by a red laser that was fired from the center. Celeste returned the ball to her bag and switched it for another. "Well, so am I. Charmander, let's go!" After tossing the ball, it popped open; a waterfall of white light streamed out, condensing into the form of Charmander before vanishing.

"_Mander char!_" the Lizard Pokemon cried.

"Onix, use Tackle!" Brock commanded.

"Dodge it, Charmander!"

With an angry roar, Onix swung his long, rocky tail at Charmander. In a panic, the Fire-type leaped to the side; Oniz's tail swept past, just barely missing him.

"Use Metal Claw!" Celeste shouted.

"Onix, wrap him up with Bind!"

Charmander drew his claws back, and they began to gleam a silvery-white. He began to race at the Rock-type, but he froze when he saw the opponent's tail closing in on him. With a cry of surprise, the Lizard Pokemon lunged over Onix's tail, allowing it to coil around nothing. Onix growled angrily, scowling daggers at Charmander.

_Darn it, _Celeste thought. _Charmander can't get a move in without Onix almost hitting him. What am I going to do? _Racking through her brain, she recalled a scene from Nigel's battle with Brock: Pikachu scurrying up Onix's long body, tricking the Rock Snake Pokemon into knocking himself out. Her face lit up. _That's it!_ "Charmander, run up Onix's body and onto his head!"

The Lizard Pokemon's sapphire eyes widened at his Trainer's command; as if he could feel her confidence in her decision, he obliged. He hopped onto Onix's body and scaled up his side like a tall mountain. Once he reached the summit, Charmander clung to Onix's horn, being cautious not to look down what seemed like miles from the ground.

Brock laughed. "Hey, I remember Nigel doing that when I battled him. We're not falling for it again! Onix, shake him off!"

"Charmander, hang on!" Celeste coached.

As Onix began to flail back and forth vigorously, Charmander's grip on his opponent's horn tightened, clinging on for dear life. His head started to spin from all the shaking; the scenery around him began to blur and split into three different images from the dizziness. He shut his eyes tightly.

After a minute, the Rock-type vigorous actions stopped. He swayed a bit from dizziness and tried to regain his balance.

Celeste giggled. _Perfect! _"Charmander, Metal Claw!"

Shaking off the dizziness, Charmander released his grip on Onix's horn. His claws shimmered a bright silver; he slashed them deep into the Rock Snake Pokemon's sturdy head. Onix let out a roar of agony as he stumbled forward; with the Lizard Pokemon still on his head, he crashed onto the battlefield. A giant cloud of dust sifted into the air from the impact.

Celeste gasped. "Charmander!"

She waited impatiently for her Pokemon to give her a sign that he was okay. After a few moments, Charmander emerged from the dust cloud, staggering a bit on his feet. He regained his balance and grinned at his Trainer. "_Char mander!_" he reassured.

She smiled. "Thank goodness you're okay! Now, let's finish off Onix with Ember!"

The Lizard Pokemon nodded. He whirled around, facing the dust cloud that was beginning to subside. Finding his target, he shot an array of fiery balls from his gaping jaws. A loud groan was heard as the flames hit their target.

"_Onix_!" Brock cried.

Marcus rose from his seat on the bench, his wide jade eyes examining the scene at a closer range. "Did she actually win...?"

The other four pairs of eyes in the room also watched in wonder as the dust cleared from the air around Onix. The Rock Snake Pokemon laid motionless on the ground.

Celeste's face brightened. _I won!_

Then the Rock-type's long body twitched slightly. Celeste and Marcus gasped in surprise; Brock's expression broke into a grin.

"Onix, use Bind!"

Just then, Onix shot straight up from the ground, roaring. Before anyone could even react, his long, rocky tail swept forward, catching Charmander and wrapping around his body, constricting his movement.

"_Charrrrr_!" the Fire-type shrieked as the tail tightened around him.

"Oh, no..." Celeste muttered. "Charmander, you _have _to get out of there!"

To no avail, the Lizard Pokemon struggled against Onix's tail, groaning in pain. The consecutive boulders instead drew closer, pressing the air from his lungs. Growing furious, he opened his jaws, firing an array of embers at Onix's face. As the embers struck, the Rock Snake Pokemon let out a roar of agony; his grip loosened, allowing his victim to escape. The large Pokemon stumbled a bit, trying to stay upright, but then crashed down to the ground.

"Onix is unable to battle," the referee declared, pointing in Celeste's direction. "Charmander is the winner! And the victory goes to Celeste, the challenger from Pallet Town!"

Too amazed for words, Celeste simply gaped. "Really...? I won?"

"Celeste!" Marcus called excitedly, running to her side with a giant grin stretched across his face. "You _won_! You finally got your first Badge!"

After sharing a high-five with her companion, Celeste's expression brightened as she took in the moment. Giggling joyously, she rushed to Charmander—still catching his breath from having the oxygen squeezed out of him—and scooped him into her arms, embracing him. "Charmander, you were so awesome! We _won_!"

"_Char, mander char!_" Charmander said, grinning and returning his Trainer's hug.

* * *

"Celeste, I can really tell how you've improved on your skills since the other day," Brock said.

They stood outside the Gym, the early afternoon sun beating down on them from the cloudless sky above. Contrasting with the heat from the sun's rays, a brisk breeze swept past, carrying the mixed scents of the city and nature.

"Really?" Celeste replied, smiling. Receiving such a compliment from a Gym Leader, a Trainer with high status, gave her a warm feeling inside. _My hard work paid off._

He nodded, returning a smile. "Of course. It was a really impressive and entertaining battle." With a nervous chuckle, he rubbed the back of his neck. "And... I should probably apologize if I came off as a little rude and gave you such a hard time."

She shook her head, giggling. "You don't have to be sorry, Brock. Actually, thank you for telling me all those things. Sure, they were a little hurtful... but they actually motivated me to improve and match up to you."

Marcus smiled.

"Well, here's your proof that you _have _matched up to me." After digging through the pocket of his pants, he extended his fist. He opened it, revealing a small piece of metal. It was only a simple gray octagon, but to Celeste, it was still a sign of an important victory. "It's the Boulder Badge, one of the eight Badges in the region that will allow you entrance into the Pokemon League!"

Celeste gasped as Brock dropped the Badge into her hand. Her aquamarine eyes glistened in joy as she examined how the sunlight hit its reflective surface, causing it to shimmer.

Brock grinned, giving her a thumbs-up. "Good luck with the rest of your journey. I look forward to watching you challenge the Pokemon League on television!"

"Thank you so much, Brock!" Celeste said. Unable to contain her excitement, she threw her arm into the air, holding the Badge between her index finger and thumb, hopping slightly as she did so. "Check it out, world! I got my first Badge! _Awesome_!"

_**To be continued...**_

* * *

**A/N: I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Please leave a review and tell me what you think!**

**~Hayley**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: So, sorry that this update is a bit late! I always try to update on the weekends, but since I was very busy the past couple of days, I couldn't post this until now. Again, sorry!**

**I hope you enjoy this chapter! :)**

* * *

**Chapter 8 - Mount Moon! Enter the Mysterious Gang!**

"Hi, Mom!" Celeste greeted cheerfully as the image of her mother appeared on the monitor of the Pokemon Center's video phone.

Samantha gasped, her expression brightening at the sight of her daughter. "Oh, Celeste! So good to see your sweet face again! I was beginning to worry about you!"

"Yeah, sorry about that, Mom. I didn't have the chance to call you until now."

Samantha giggled. "It's okay, honey. I understand how being on a journey can keep you occupied. So, what's been going on?"

Before answering, Celeste paused, wondering where to begin. _So much has happened since I left. I guess I'll start with everything after I left the house. _"Well," she began, "I got my Charmander from Professor Oak at the start of my journey."

"Oh, really? You chose the Fire-type?"

Celeste nodded. "Yup. I kind of regretted it, considering he's a bit of a hothead, but now we're getting along just fine!" She smiled at the memory.

"That's good. Did you see Alicia at the lab? Which Pokemon did she choose?"

Celeste's smile immediately vanished at the thought of her childhood rival. "Yeah. Sadly. She chose Squirtle, the Water-type."

Samantha scoffed, rolling her peridot eyes. "Of _course _she chooses the type advantage. Anything to show you up, right?"

"Yeah. Actually, we had a battle on Route 1, and I won. I guess I just got lucky that time, though."

Samantha giggled and waved her hand. "Whatever. Good job on winning. You really showed her, didn't you?"

Celeste laughed. "I guess I did!"

"Okay, enough about her. Back to your journey. Did you catch any other Pokemon?"

"Yup! I caught a Caterpie while passing through Viridian Forest, but she evolved into a Metapod when I first battled the Pewter City Gym Leader."

"That's great, honey!"

"Oh, and that reminds me," Celeste muttered, reaching into her backpack and drawing out a dark blue Badge case. She opened the case, revealing where she placed the Boulder Badge on the velvet lining. With a wide grin, she presented the Badge to the screen. "I defeated the Gym Leader here in Pewter City, and this is my Badge to prove it!"

"_Amazing_!" Samantha squealed, grinning widely and clapping her hands in applause. "I'm so proud of you, sweetie! You haven't even been gone a week and you're already a strong Trainer!"

Celeste giggled, stuffing the Badge case back into her bag. "Well, I wouldn't say I'm 'strong,' but I have improved."

"That's really good, honey. Well, I'll let you get on your way now. Good luck, Celeste, and stay safe!" With a bright smile, Samantha waved.

"Bye, Mom! Love you!"

"I love you, too, sweetie! Bye!"

After blowing each other kisses through the monitor, the screen of the video phone went black as the call ended. Celeste smiled, feeling good about being able to chat with her mother again. She walked away to meet Marcus, who waited patiently for her on a bench. As she approached, he stood, lifting his backpack onto his back.

"Ready to go?" he asked.

She nodded. "Yup!"

* * *

"Hey, Marcus," Celeste said as the duo trekked down Route 4, "which city are we headed to next?"

"The next city is Cerulean City," Marcus replied. "The next Gym is there. But first—"

Simply hearing the word "Gym" made Celeste squeal loudly in excitement. "Oh, my _gosh_! I can't wait to—"

"_But first_," Marcus repeated, giving her a dirty look, "we have to pass through Mount Moon."

Celeste raised an eyebrow. "Mount Moon? What's that?"

"_That's_ Mount Moon." He pointed to a giant mountain not too far ahead of them. The summit of the mountain towered high into the air, stretching toward the sun; Celeste had to shield her eyes from the sun's blinding rays to get a good look.

"Whoa," she muttered. "We're going to have to climb _that_?"

Marcus chuckled, shaking his head. "No, we're not climbing it. We're just going to pass through the caves. My plan is to get through the caves and make it to Cerulean City by nightfall."

Celeste giggled a bit.

"What's so funny?"

"Nothing. I've just noticed that you always seem to plan ahead like that. You're like a perfectionist or something."

"Shut up..."

* * *

"Ugh, this is like Viridian Forest all over again..."

Celeste's legs ached after about ten minutes of walking through the caves of Mount Moon. She had never been in a cave before in her life, but she already knew she hated it. The air felt heavy and cold, and it reeked of moist rocks. While the caves weren't as dark as she expected them to be, it was still very dim. Also, navigating through the caves' winding paths took _way_ too long for her liking.

"We're not even lost this time!" Marcus snapped. "I remember the _exact _path I took when I came through here on my way to visit Brock in Pewter City. Just be patient, and we'll be in Cerulean City before you know it."

Celeste sighed. "Fine..."

As they continued further, they reached an area where the flat ground became a steep slope, which extended about ten feet downward before reaching level ground again. Marcus crouched down, gazing down the slope.

"Hey, maybe we can get through the cave faster if we go down here. When I came through here last, I had to go around a—"

As he rambled on about his travels prior to meeting her, Celeste's eyes examined the dim cave around her. She could hear the sounds of water dripping from stalactites and the occasional screech of a Zubat echoing off of the cave walls.

"Hey, you!" she suddenly heard a voice shout.

Her head snapped in the direction that the voice came from. A couple yards away from the bottom of the slope, a group of people in identical uniforms surrounded a young man. Celeste relaxed, realizing the call was directed at the man, not her. But as she examined the scene more closely, it hit her that there was something a bit unnerving about it. The group—consisting of four men and three woman, all appearing to be in their early twenties—all seemed menacing in their matching uniforms, which were all black in color with a large red "R" on the front of their shirts. The young man appeared terrified, his eyes bulging behind his wire-frame glasses and his body trembling; his back was against the rock wall of the cave, the gang forming a half-circle around him.

"W-what do you want?" the young man asked.

"You know what we want," the man directly in front of him replied, grinning darkly. "You're carrying the fossils of prehistoric Pokemon, correct?"

Their victim nodded. "Yeah, but—"

"Hand them over."

"H-huh? B-but I can't do that! I need these to—"

"Shut it!" one of the women snapped. She took a step forward; the other six gang members mimicked, closing in on him. "Look, we can do this the easy way or the hard way: if you hand over the fossils to us, we'll leave you alone—but if you don't, we won't hesitate to hurt you in order to get them."

Celeste gasped. "Marcus."

"What?"

"That... man over there," she said, pointing at the scene. "That gang is threatening him."

Marcus looked in the direction she was pointing, standing up and taking a step closer to examine the scene better. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I'm sure! We have to help him!"

"I don't know, Celeste," Marcus muttered with a shrug. "It's really none of our business. It's probably not even as bad as it looks."

Celeste gulped as she watched the scene, fighting internally over who she should listen to: Marcus or her own instincts. _Marcus could be right. But... what's going on _does _seem as bad as it looks. What do I do? _She took a step closer to the slope; while she felt her heel touch the ground, the rest of her foot only met air. Her heel slipped down the slope, and with a surprised shriek, the rest of her body was gliding down the slope.

"Celeste!" she heard Marcus cry.

Everything was happening too fast. One moment, she was standing at the top of the slope, and the next, she was sledding down it, her eyes shut tight from fright. Then before she knew it, she was on her rear end on the cold, hard ground.

"Ow..." she muttered. When she opened her eyes, eight pairs of eyes were directed at her. Seven of them were dark, malevolent glares. She giggled nervously. "Um... hi!"

"What's a kid doing here?" one of the women asked the man beside her, her voice sour.

"I thought you made sure that nobody was around!" another man snapped to the same man, who held his hands up in defense.

The voices of six people then began shouting and speaking at once, blending into an incomprehensible argument. Celeste remained sitting on the cave floor, watching them bicker in confusion.

"_Shut up_!" the seventh man, the only one of the group that wasn't arguing, shouted. When they all calmed down, the man approached her, his emerald green eyes glaring darkly at her from under the bill of his black hat. He towered over her when he reached her; he grinned down at her—but it definitely wasn't a friendly grin. His grin sent shivers down her spine. "Look, Bright Eyes," he growled, "what's going on here is serious business—just for adults such as myself. You see, it's not something that little girls like you should be involved in. You understand? So, why don't you just run along back to the playground and pretend like you never saw anything?"

The other gang members snickered.

Celeste glared up at him. She couldn't stand the way he was referring to her as a "little girl" and speaking to her as if she was such. _I'm _not _a little girl. I'm ten years old; I'm a Pokemon Trainer. I have a freakin' Badge, for crying out loud! _She gulped, rising to her feet; she looked him dead-on in the eyes. "No. I'm not leaving. I saw you threatening that man just now, and I'm _not _going to sit back and let you hurt him."

The gang burst into laughter.

"That's _adorable_," the man mocked as his own laughter died out. "You think you're _so _tough, don't you?"

She snarled at him, balling her hands into fists at her sides.

"Look, I'll warn you one last time: if you don't leave these caves _this instant_, we're going to have to force you to leave."

"Knock it off!" Marcus's voice shouted from above.

When Celeste whirled around, she saw Marcus gliding down the slope on the soles of his feet, skidding to a stop right beside her at the bottom. If she wasn't so furious at the gang, she would've been jealous of how he came down the slope with such grace.

"I'm on _her _side," he announced to the gang, jabbing his thumb in Celeste's direction. His confident stance and the way he scowled at them matched Celeste's, showing that they were a team. "And I'm also not going to stand back and watch you treat other people this way. It's _wrong_. Now, if you guys don't leave the caves right now, then _we're_ going to have to force you." He pulled a Poke Ball from his backpack; Celeste did the same.

The man smirked, his fellow gang members positioning themselves on either side of him. "If that's where you want to go, then fine. But don't say I didn't warn you." The seven of them unhooked Poke Balls from their gray belts, acting simultaneously as if they were programmed robots. They hurled them into the air, causing a show of white light in the dark cave as they all burst open, condensing into the forms of seven different Pokemon, all of them unfamiliar to Celeste.

Two of the Pokemon released were bat-like with blue bodies; their wing membranes and the insides of their small, triangular ears were purple. Their gaping mouths had four sharp fangs protruding from them; their legs were very short with only one toe on each foot. They glared with their small, coal black eyes.

Another pair of Pokemon had serpentine bodies that were covered with purple scales. The upper parts of their bodies were stretched into a hood, the fronts of them depicting designs that resembled angry faces—two almond shapes colored red and yellow, rimmed in black, resembling glaring eyes; and more black shapes surrounding them. Their onyx eyes, like the previous two Pokemon, were set into a permanent scowl. When they opened their jaws to hiss at Celeste and Marcus, their long, skinny, pink tongues slipped out and vibrated.

The other three Pokemon were purple with round bodies, the several craters protruding from their bodies giving them the appearance of a meteorite. Unlike the other Pokemon the gang had sent out, these three weren't glaring with their coal black eyes—in fact, grins were plastered on their faces, showing two small white fangs inside their mouths. Below their smiling faces, white skull-and-crossbones markings were on their purple bodies.

As the Pokemon all cried out in anger, Celeste pulled her red Pokedex from her backpack and flicked open the lid, directing it at the blue Pokemon. "Who's that Pokemon?" she wondered.

"_Golbat, the Bat Pokemon,_" the device's electronic voice informed. "_It clamps down on its prey with needle-sharp fangs and drains over ten ounces of blood in one gulp._"

With a shudder, she turned the device to the pair of purple, reptilian Pokemon.

"_Arbok, the Cobra Pokemon. The pattern on its belly appears to be a frightening face. Weak foes will flee just at the sight of the pattern._"

"And that Pokemon...?" She faced the trio of round purple Pokemon, allowing her Pokedex to scan them.

"_Koffing, the Poison Gas Pokemon. Its thin, balloon-like body is inflated by horribly toxic gases. It reeks when it is nearby._"

Marcus sighed, slapping his open palm on his face. "Celeste, is that _really _necessary right now?"

"Well, sorry," she said, slipping the compact device back into her bag, "but I was curious to know what Pokemon they are!"

"_Hey_!" one of the gang members shouted, catching their attention. "If you're not going to send out your Pokemon, we won't hesitate to attack _you _instead!"

"But..." Celeste trailed off, shuddering from the fourteen intimidating scowls directed at her. She gulped. "Seven against two?! You can't do that! This isn't a fair battle!"

One of the women cracked up laughing. "_Fair_? Hate to break it to you, kid, but this isn't one of your little playground games. Nobody said anything about being fair."

Celeste opened her mouth to object.

"Celeste," Marcus said, "I hate to admit it, but she's right."

"What?! How can you—"

"Celeste, this isn't a Gym battle. In Gym battles, they have rules that keep things fair. Even outside of Gyms, _good_ Trainers follow by similar rules so things are fair. But _these _Trainers... They clearly _aren't _good Trainers, so they're going to go by their own rules."

Celeste frowned, averting her gaze down to the ground. _But... they have _seven _Pokemon. And I only have two._

"But if they have their own set of rules," Marcus stated as he pulled two more Poke Balls from his backpack, "then we'll just have to follow them, too." He tossed the balls into the air; they burst open, a trio of white lights flooding out and condensing into the forms of Bellsprout, Fearow, and Rattata.

At first, Celeste gaped in awe. Then her expression broke into a grin. "You're right." Following his lead, she pulled another Poke Ball from her backpack and hurled both of them into the air. Light flooded from inside them when they popped open, leaving Charmander and Metapod in their places.

"Now it's five against seven!" Marcus declared.

"Doesn't matter," one of the men said. "There's no way we're going to let a couple of twerps beat us! Arbok, use Poison Sting!"

"Golbat, Wing Attack!"

"Koffing, use Sludge!"

"Bellsprout, Vine Whip!" Marcus commanded. "Fearow, use Pursuit! And Rattata, use Quick Attack!"

"Use Ember, Charmander!" Celeste yelled. "Metapod, use String Shot!"

As commanded, the Arbok duo simultaneously opened their wide jaws, an array of sharp needles, gleaming purple with venom, shooting from their throats. The Golbat, with a duet of ear-shattering shrieks, dove down toward the cave floor, one heading for Charmander while the other targeted Metapod. As the venomous needles soared toward Rattata, Bellsprout hopped in their path. Two vines sprouted from underneath his arms and repeatedly slapped the needles from the air, causing them to clatter uselessly onto the ground. Unharmed, the Mouse Pokemon leaped over the Flower Pokemon, racing at a high speed and colliding against one Arbok. With his already-extended vines, Bellsprout slapped the other Cobra Pokemon. As the Golbat neared, glaring menacingly, Charmander opened his mouth and fired thousands of flaming orbs at them. The Bat Pokemon duo halted in the air as the flames scorched them; Metapod followed up, shooting a white thread from her mouth. The thread wrapped around the two Poison-types, constricting their wings to their bodies; their wings rendered useless, they collapsed onto the cave floor. Fearow glided swiftly along the ground, swerving in a U-shape when he reached the Koffing trio; his wing cut against their bodies, sending them spiralling back from the impact. The Poison Gas Pokemon managed to regain control after a moment and, after shaking off the dizziness, spewed dark brown sludge from their mouths. The unsanitary material rained down on their opponents; they cried out in pain and disgust.

"Oh, no," Marcus muttered, gazing at both his and Celeste's Pokemon as they shook the dark brown waste from their bodies.

"What?" Celeste asked, grimacing at the Sludge attack.

"It... looks like Fearow, Rattata, and Charmander are all poisoned."

Confused, Celeste took a closer look at the Pokemon. Their bodies were gleaming a dull shade of purple. They appeared to be weak as well—moaning in agony, panting, struggling to stay on their feet. She gulped. "They don't look so good... What's wrong with them?"

"Sludge has a chance of poisoning a Pokemon," Marcus explained. "If a Pokemon is poisoned, they slowly lose energy. If it's not healed beforehand, they can all end up fainting." He swung his bag off of his back, opening a pocket and rummaging through it. "But I have something that can heal them..."

"Not so fast, Doc!" one of the men shouted. "Golbat, break free and use Supersonic!"

"Arbok, both of you, use Body Slam!"

"Koffing, Smog!"

Using their sharp fangs, the pair of Golbat bit down on the string, snapping it and fluttering away as they broke free. Then they opened their mouths and released a series of sound waves that reverberated throughout the cave. Both Arbok leaped into the air, their large serpentine bodies landing on and crushing Rattata and Metapod. The bodies of the trio of Koffing inflated, and then shrank again as a thick, dark green fog erupted from the several holes in their bodies. The sound waves passed over Fearow, Bellsprout, and Charmander; the three of them covered their ears from the loud sound. At the same time, the Arbok pair retreated, slithering back to their side of the field as the fog clouded over their opponents. When the thick smog cleared, all five of the Pokemon were lying on the cave floor, Fearow and Bellsprout struggling to lift themselves to their feet.

Marcus gasped, his eyes bulging. "They all moved so fast... I didn't even get a chance to heal our Pokemon!"

"Like you said, they're not playing fair," Celeste reminded him, her voice wavering from concern. She took another look at her and Marcus's Pokemon: Metapod and Rattata laid unmoving on the ground, clearly unconscious. Fearow, still suffering from the poison, and Bellsprout managed to stand up, but they staggered and swayed, as if they were dizzy. Charmander's body trembled as he attempted to stand. _They're all in serious pain, _she thought sadly. _I hate to see them like this._

She was caught by surprise when the Lizard Pokemon, still laying face-down on the cave floor, began pounding his head against the rocky ground, growling with pain from each hit. As he did this, Bellsprout's vines extended from underneath his arms and repeatedly slapped himself across the face. Puzzled, she gaped. "Marcus, what's happening to them?"

"They're confused. It's an effect from the move Supersonic. Sometimes, when a Pokemon is confused, they attack themselves." He sighed. "But... I don't have anything that cures confusion..."

After banging his head a few more times, Charmander stopped; then he collapsed. Celeste sighed, pulling two Poke Balls from her backpack and directing them to her fainted Pokemon. "Charmander, Metapod, return." As the red laser shot from the balls' centers and sucked the Lizard Pokemon and the Cocoon Pokemon inside, tears began to form in her eyes. "I'm so sorry..." she whispered, gazing apologetically at the balls before returning them to her bag.

"Rattata, you did a good job," Marcus said, yanking a Poke Ball from his bag and pointing it at the unconscious Mouse Pokemon. "Now, take a good rest." The red beam shot from the ball's center, enveloping the Normal-type and slurping her inside. Marcus then exchanged the ball for a pink, heart-shaped berry with two leaves sprouting from it; he tossed it at Fearow.

After shaking off the confusion, the Beak Pokemon managed to catch the berry with his thin beak and swallowed it. The purple glow from his body faded quickly, and he stretched out his wings, crowing at the cave's ceiling in triumph.

Celeste gasped. "Fearow's healed!"

Marcus nodded. "That was a Pecha Berry that he just ate. It cures poisoning. Now, if only I knew what to do about Bellsprout..." He stared with concern at the Flower Pokemon, who continued to smack himself with his own vines.

Staring at his fellow teammate, Fearow cocked his head to the side. He raised his wing, whacking it against the back of the Grass-type's head. With a cry, he stopped hitting himself, and he whirled around to face the Flying-type. "_Bell, Bellsprout, Bell?!_" he snapped, glaring daggers.

Marcus chuckled a bit. "I guess that works..."

One of the men grunted. "Ugh, all your chatting about how much you '_care_' for your Pokemon is making me sick!"

"Me, too," another man agreed. "Let's just finish them off! Koffing, use Sludge!"

"Use Shadow Ball, Golbat!"

"Arbok, Sludge Bomb!"

"I won't let you hurt my Pokemon anymore!" Marcus shouted, his face twisted into an enraged scowl. "Fearow, dodge the attacks and use Fury Attack! And Bellsprout, use Sleep Powder!"

The Koffing trio fired globs of brown, foul-smelling sludge from their mouths in all directions. Black and purple balls of darkness formed in front of the Golbat duo's mouths, growing larger. Once the balls were large enough, they shot them at Bellsprout. The pair of Arbok spat globs of brown sludge one after the other from their gaping jaws. Taking flight, Fearow spiralled through the air, avoiding the flying sludge balls as they raced toward him. However, one managed to strike his wing; with a screech of pain, he crashed to the ground. Bellsprout flapped his leaves back and forth, a light blue, sparkling powder wafting from them as they moved; as the dark orbs hit the cloud of powder, it vanished. The orbs struck Bellsprout, knocking him onto his back.

"Fearow, Bellsprout, no!" Marcus cried worriedly, watching his Pokemon and waiting for them to move. They never did. With a sigh, he pulled their Poke Balls from his bag, directing them at their unconscious bodies. "I'm sorry, guys. Thank you for trying your best. Take a good rest." Red beams shot from the center buttons, recalling the two Pokemon back to their respective balls as the light enveloped them. As he placed them back into his bag, he growled. "They're too strong..."

Celeste nodded in agreement. "W-what happens now?"

"I'll tell you what happens now," one woman snapped as she and her six colleagues and their Pokemon closed in on Marcus and Celeste. The two Trainers backed against the slope behind them, eyes wide with terror. "We'll teach you to mess with us."

"All of you!" they commanded simultaneously, pointing at their targets. "_Attack_!"

The seven Pokemon cried out as they charged their attacks. Marcus squeezed his eyes shut, bracing himself for the agony of the attacks. Tears streaming down her face, Celeste pressed her back to the slope, sliding down to a sitting position on the ground. Like Marcus, her eyes were shut tight, her hands pressed to her head. "Please, _don't_!" she screeched.

She heard the attacks fire, whizzing as they soared through the air toward them.

_I'm done for... _She held her breath. She waited for the pain of the poisonous moves that were about to strike her.

But she felt nothing.

"Celeste, look," Marcus said, his voice quiet.

Confused, Celeste opened her eyes. Just a few feet in front of her, a glowing orb of pink light floated. Surrounding her, Marcus, and the light was a green, spherical barrier; every attack that the enemy Pokemon used simply bounced off of it, not leaving a scratch.

"Marcus," Celeste asked, gazing at the scene in front of her in awe, "what is that?"

"That barrier..." he muttered, also appearing very stunned by what was occurring. "That's the move Protect."

"But that pink light...?"

Marcus shook his head slowly. "I-I have no clue..."

The green barrier then vanished, but the pink light remained levitating in front of them. The seven gang members and their Pokemon all stared, mouths agape, speechless aside from the muttering amongst themselves.

"What is that?"

"What the—what the heck just happened?"

"Is that a... Pokemon?"

"I'm wondering the same things..." Celeste whispered to herself.

A bright, yellow-orange beam shot from the ball of light at the gang members and their Pokemon. Celeste and Marcus cried out in surprise, blocking their eyes from the blinding light that illuminated the entire cave. Once the light faded, they uncovered their eyes and looked around them. The gang gaped down at their Pokemon, who all laid unmoving on the cave floor. The pink light was nowhere in sight.

The caves were silent for a moment as everyone tried to grasp what had just happened.

"What _was_ that?!" one man cried, his voice echoing throughout the caves.

"I have no clue!" a woman replied.

"Whatever it was, it was scary!" another man said.

"Come on, guys!" a third man commanded, recalling his fainted Pokemon to his Poke Ball, and his fellow group members mimicked. "Let's get out of here!"

"Right!" the other six members agreed, and they all ran deeper into the caves, gradually disappearing into the darkness.

Celeste sighed with relief, rising to her feet. "Good, they're gone now..."

Marcus nodded, but he continued to glance around the cave. "But... that light... Where did it go?"

"I don't know..." She shrugged. "Honestly, I don't even have a clue what it was."

"Me, neither."

"Hey, you two!" a man's voice called.

The two looked across the cave in the direction the voice came from. The young man that they had witnessed being harassed by the gang approached them, smiling gratefully. Due to his attire—a light blue collared shirt, khaki pants, a white lab coat, and black loafers—one could infer that he was likely a scientist. Celeste gasped, suddenly realizing that, through the hectic battling, she had forgotten all about him.

"Are you okay, sir?" Marcus asked the young man. "Those men didn't hurt you, did they?"

The man shook his head. "No. Thanks to you two kind Trainers, I'm in one piece! Thank you so much for standing up for me!"

"No problem!" Celeste and Marcus answered in unison, returning warm smiles.

However, the man's smile turned to a frown as he rubbed his messy, forest green hair. "Hmm... I feel like just saying 'thank you' isn't enough. How else can I repay you for what you've done...?"

Celeste giggled anxiously, holding up one of her hands. "No, don't worry. You don't have to—"

"I know!" he interrupted, his expression brightening in an instant. He reached into his brown duffel bag, carefully sliding out two rugged rocks about the size of his hands. He held them out to them; Celeste noticed that they both had imprints in them: the one in the man's left hand had a spiral-shape embedded in it while the one in his right contained a round shell. "These are what these men were after—we researchers at the lab on Cinnabar Island call them the Helix Fossil and the Dome Fossil. They're the fossils of two prehistoric Pokemon. Our goal at the lab is to find a way to resurrect these Pokemon by contracting the DNA contained in these fossils."

"Wow," Marcus said, gazing in awe, "that's so cool."

The man smiled. "Why, yes, it is! I was supposed to bring these to the museum in Pewter City for further examination... but I think I'll let you have one of them as thanks."

"Thanks, but you really don't—"

"But I insist!" The researcher held out the fossil with the spiral marking. "Here, take the Helix Fossil."

Celeste and Marcus exchanged an uncertain look and shrugged.

"Well, if you insist..." Celeste said, cautiously taking the fossil from him. She placed it into her backpack. "Thank you so much!"

* * *

It was already dark by the time the duo had made it out of the caves of Mount Moon. After their short trip through Route 4, they arrived in Cerulean City and headed to the Pokemon Center, calling it a night. With their Pokemon resting in Nurse Joy's care, Celeste and Marcus laid on their respective beds, their curiosity about the light they saw in the caves keeping them awake.

"I still can't put my finger on what that could've been," Marcus said, staring at the ceiling in deep thought. "I think it could've been a Pokemon... but I don't think I've ever heard of a Pokemon that could do such things."

Celeste nodded, her aquamarine eyes glued to the screen of her Pokedex as she scrolled manually through it, examining the images of every Pokemon to find one with a similar appearance to the light she saw in the cave. "It was so small... but so powerful! When it shot that beam at those men, it knocked out all of their Pokemon!"

"That move it used was Hyper Beam," Marcus informed. "It's a really powerful move, so it doesn't surprise me that it knocked out so many Pokemon. But... I've never heard of such a small Pokemon that could use it..."

An image of a round, pink Pokemon with large, turquoise eyes, pointed ears with black insides, and a hair-like curl on its forehead appeared on the Pokedex's screen. Celeste gasped, jolting upright on her bed. "Hey, Marcus, could this have been the Pokemon?" She held out the device; he leaned forward, examining the Pokemon on-screen.

"_Jigglypuff, the Balloon Pokemon,_" the device's electronic voice informed. "_It captivates foes with its huge, round eyes, then lulls them to sleep by singing a soothing melody._"

"A Jigglypuff?" Marcus repeated, raising an eyebrow in consideration. "No, I don't think that could be it. Jigglypuff can't learn Hyper Beam. They also can't glow or float like that."

Frowning, Celeste took another look at her Pokedex before flicking the lid shut. "Then I give up. I can't figure it out." Tossing the device back into her black denim backpack, she collapsed back onto the bed.

"I can't, either." He shrugged, pulling the covers on the bed back and crawling underneath them. "Whatever. We should get some sleep."

Celeste nodded. "You're right. Good night."

_**To be continued...**_

* * *

**A/N: I hope that wasn't too painful to read! That five-on-seven battle was really awkward, but I put my best effort into trying to make it not seem that way. If you have any advice for how I can improve it, please tell me!**

**Also, there's one more thing I'd like to tell you readers: I start school again on August 20th. I'm going to be a junior in high school, and I hear that junior year is _a lot _harder than any other year. Therefore, I'll most likely be working on loads of homework and trying to keep my grades up (I'm aiming for straight A's all year). Because of that, I won't have much time to write. _However_, I will still do everything I can to work on this story, though be warned that updates will probably not be as frequent as they have been lately. This story may also be put on hiatus if I need to catch up on writing future chapters. _But I am NEVER giving up on this story._**

**I just wanted to let you all know that, so please don't be alarmed if I don't update in a while or if you see the word "hiatus" after the summary. :)**

**Thank you for reading, and please leave a review to tell me what you think of this chapter!**

**~Hayley**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Sorry for not updating! The reason this time was the same as the one before: my computer caught a virus, and I had to send it to my uncle so he could clear it. I can't promise anything, but I hope it never happens again!**

**Okay, on with the chapter!**

* * *

**Chapter 9 - The Precious Ekans**

Stepping outside of the Pokemon Center's doors, Celeste stretched her arms out and allowed the morning sun to bathe her body with its warm rays. She smiled. "What a perfect day!"

Marcus exited the building after her, grinning up at the cloudless blue sky. "It sure is. Perfect day for a Gym battle, right? How about we head to the Gym right away?"

Celeste nodded vigorously in excitement. "_Heck yeah_! Let's_—_"

"Celeste!"

Hearing the sound of her name being called, she whirled around. Nigel was heading toward her, sprinting down the street, seeming desperate to reach her. _I thought the voice was familiar..._

"Celeste! Marcus!" he shouted as he skidded to a stop in front of them.

"What's wrong, Nigel?" Celeste asked.

"And you don't have to yell," Marcus added, grumbling in annoyance. "We're right here, you know."

The two of them waited patiently as Nigel slouched forward, hands on his knees, taking deep breaths to refill his lungs with oxygen. After a long minute, he managed to spit out, "I-I saw... something... really awesome... on Route 4...! You guys have to see it!"

"You did?" Marcus said, raising an eyebrow. "What was it?"

Nigel shrugged. "No clue. I think it's a Pokemon, but it's not one I've ever seen before." His expression brightened. "You know what that means? If I've never seen it before, then that means it's probably an undiscovered Pokemon!"

With a chuckle, Marcus shook his head. "Actually, Nigel, just because_—_"

"What are you guys just standing around for?" Nigel interrupted, his voice raising with excitement. "Come on! I'll go show you my awesome discovery!" He jabbed his index finger in the direction in which he came. "It's this way! _Come on_!" Not even waiting for an answer, he took off down the street.

"Well?" Marcus asked Celeste, who remained in her spot, hesitating. "Are you going to go see his 'awesome discovery'?"

She shrugged, heaving a sigh. "If it makes him happy... then I guess."

* * *

"It was around this area," Nigel said once he, Celeste, and Marcus, reached Route 4, the route leading from Mount Moon to Cerulean City. The area they were in was a wide, grassy clearing in the middle of the route's path, surrounded by tall mountains on either side. But there was nothing of interest in sight.

"Okay, then..." Marcus muttered, glancing around. "So, where is this discovery you were so worked up about?"

Nigel paced in a circle in the middle of the clearing, cerulean eyes examining the area. "I... I don't know. It was here a few minutes ago..."

Celeste sighed in irritation. "You know, Nigel, we have things that we need to do back in Cerulean City."

Marcus nodded. "That's right. So, since your 'awesome discovery' isn't here, we'll just be heading back to the city now."

"_Wait_!" Nigel cried hastily, following the duo as they headed west. "Guys, it was _right here_ a few minutes ago! It couldn't have gotten very far, so if you guys would just look around with me_—_"

"Not worth it," Celeste stated, her glare directed straight ahead of her as she walked. "There are better things that I'd rather be doing now, like battling the Cerulean City Gym Leader and winning my second Badge."

"But it_ is_ worth it! You should've seen it. It was, like, this long"_—_he extended his arms out to either side, holding his hands about six feet apart_—_"and it's body was this odd shade of green_—_"

"Nigel," Marcus interrupted, "there are a lot of Pokemon that look like that. The one you saw was probably something really common and not worth seeing, like a_—_"

He stopped mid-sentence as a cry of surprise escaped his lips; as he spoke, an unfamiliar Pokemon jumped out unexpectedly from behind a bush. The Pokemon had a green, serpentine body that was about six feet long. A yellow band on his scaly skin wrapped around his body underneath his head, and his underbelly, the rattle at the tip of his tail, and his glaring eyes matched this color.

"_Ekkkkaaaaaaa!_" he hissed at them.

"That's it!" Nigel shouted, pointing at the Pokemon. "That's the Pokemon I saw before!"

Marcus gaped. "That's an Ekans, but... he's a different color than most Ekans..."

"What's an Ekans?" Celeste wondered as she rummaged through her backpack, whipping out her Pokedex. She directed it at the Pokemon, flipping the top open. The Pokemon that appeared onscreen looked exactly the same as the one in front of her, only the majority of its body was purple rather than green.

"_Ekans, the Snake Pokemon. A very common sight in grassland, as well as other areas. It flicks its tongue in and out to sense danger in its surroundings._"

_Marcus is right,_ Celeste thought as she returned the device to its respective space in her bag. _If that Ekans's body is a different color than the one shown on the Pokedex, then that means he must be a very unique Ekans...!_

"See?" Nigel said, flashing them an arrogant grin. "I told you guys that there was an awesome Pokemon out here. But_ noooo_, you thought I was crazy and didn't listen to me." He folded his arms across his chest, turning away from them and sulking. "Well? What are you two waiting for? _Apologize._"

Marcus averted his gaze up to the sky, pretending to be in deep thought. "Really? I don't remember you ever mentioning anything about a Pokemon..."

Celeste giggled. "Yeah, I don't recall you saying such a thing until now," she mocked, playing along with Marcus. "Maybe... you really _are_ crazy?"

Nigel scowled at them, stomping his foot on the grass. "Real funny, guys!" With a scoff, he whirled around, facing the Snake Pokemon. He drew a Poke Ball from his backpack. "Forget you guys. This Ekans is mine!"

_What?!_ Celeste rushed forward, throwing her arm out in front of Nigel to stop him. "Whoa, wait. What if I want to catch this Ekans, too?"

"Why would _you_ want to catch him?"

"Why _wouldn't_ I want to catch him? This Ekans has a different color than other Ekans, so that must mean he's really awesome and unique!" She glanced at Ekans, who snarled menacingly at her; her aquamarine eyes brightened. "Plus, he seems _really_ strong! He'd be an awesome addition to my team!"

"Well, too bad," Nigel snapped, pushing her out of his way. "I saw this Ekans first, so he's mine!"

Celeste opened her mouth to object, but after a moment of thought, she closed it again. _He's right. He saw Ekans first, so I guess it's fair for Nigel to be the one to catch him._ Folding her arms across her chest, she turned away with a huff of breath, sulking.

Grinning, Nigel returned his attention to the wild Snake Pokemon. "Okay, Ekans, you're_—_ Where'd he go?!"

Puzzled, Celeste turned around, seeing that Nigel was right: Ekans was nowhere in sight. She moaned in disappointment. _He must've ran away when we were arguing..._

"_Darn it_!" Nigel groaned, stomping his foot in the dirt. "I'm going to go find him! I'm not going to give up just because he ran away!"

"I'm going to go find him, too," Celeste said, beginning to follow his tracks as he walked across the clearing.

"No, you're not! Ekans is _mine_!"

"I have every right to capture him, just like you do!"

"_Knock it off_!" Marcus shouted, hopping between the two Trainers with his arms extended. "If you continue fighting like this, Ekans will just keep getting farther and farther away. Besides..." He grinned, pointing at himself with his thumb. "...I think _I'm_ the only one worthy of that Ekans!"

"_What_?!" Celeste and Nigel shouted in unison.

"What makes you think _that_?" Nigel demanded.

Marcus chuckled, holding his hands up in defense. "Calm down! I'm only imitating the way you guys are acting! But honestly, I _do_ want to catch that Ekans. That rare color of his body... If I caught him, Mr. Fuji would be so proud of me!" His voice became higher with excitement when he spoke the last sentence; his bright jade eyes gazed off into the distance.

"What are you rambling on about?" Nigel asked, grumbling.

Celeste snapped her fingers, catching the attention of the two boys. "I have an idea! Since we all want Ekans, how about we split up and search the area for him? And the one who finds him gets to capture him!"

"That's a great idea!" Nigel said.

"And it seems like it'd make things fair, too," Marcus agreed, nodding.

Celeste grinned. "Great! So let's split up. May the best Trainer capture Ekans!"

* * *

_Where could Ekans be?_ Celeste wondered as she traveled farther into Route 4, eyes examining the area for any trace of the Snake Pokemon's presence. Nearing the mountains, the grassy clearing around her gradually turned into a rocky terrain as she ventured east. _What did the Pokedex say again? "A very common sight in grassland, as well as other areas..."_ She groaned. _"As well as other areas." That means Ekans could be—_

A crack opening in the rocky ground snapped her from her thoughts; suddenly, a large hole opened up, a long figure swiftly bursting from it. Celeste shrieked.

The figure landed on the ground in front of her; once she could clearly see it was the green Ekans, she sighed in relief.

"_Ekkaaaaaaa!_" the wild Pokemon hissed at her.

Celeste grinned, pulling a Poke Ball from her backpack. "Hello again, Ekans. You're mine now! Charmander, let's go!" She tossed the ball; the Lizard Pokemon was released from it with a flash of white light.

"_Char mander, char!_" he cried, matching Ekans's intimidating scowl with his own.

"Charmander, use Ember!"

His jaws opened wide, Charmander fired a barrage of fiery spheres from his throat. The embers hit their target, singing the Snake Pokemon's shimmering green scales; he hissed in pain. However, he seemed to recover quickly, for he then lunged out at Charmander. The Fire-type flinched away; before he could escape, Ekans curled his long body around his, constricting his movement.

Celeste gasped. "Charmander! Try to break free, quick!"

Charmander obliged, struggling against Ekans's body, but to no avail. The more he tried to escape, the tighter his opponent's grip became. The Lizard Pokemon groaned in agony.

"Charmander!" Celeste cried again, concerned. "Get out of there by using_—_"

Her starter Pokemon's shriek interrupted her as Ekans snapped his large jaws around the Fire-type's neck. The Snake Pokemon's body unwrapped from around his opponent's, his jaws still holding him. In one swift movement, he whirled around, releasing Charmander as he did so. Charmander flew through the air, colliding with a large rock. With a hiss, Ekans flipped backwards, burrowing a hole through the craggy ground and vanishing.

Whimpering, Celeste dashed to Charmander's side, crouching down beside him. She lifted her groaning Pokemon into her arms, examining the scrapes on his orange skin. "Charmander, are you okay?"

"_Charrr..._" he moaned in response.

* * *

Bursting from the ground, Ekans found himself in the grassy area of Route 4 once again. Panting, his golden eyes surveyed a nearby row of bushes that were speckled with blue berries. Despite his previous opponent taking more damage, he still managed to feel tired from the battle. He slowly slithered over to the bushes, enclosing his wide jaws around one of the blue fruits.

"There you are!"

The Snake Pokemon whirled around at the sudden cry. Marcus approached, grinning with excitement, his Rattata running alongside him.

"We've got him cornered," he said to the Mouse Pokemon. "I'll catch him for sure!"

"_Raaaa,_" Rattata snarled, her sharp front teeth gleaming in the sunlight.

Swallowing the berry in his mouth and feeling somewhat restored, Ekans hissed at them.

"Not so fast, Marcus!"

Turning to the source of the voice, the three saw Nigel burst from another row of bushes, a Poke Ball in hand. "I saw this Ekans first. He's mine!"

"Nigel, I cornered him first," Marcus argued, "so _I'm_ the one that gets to catch him, fair and square!"

Nigel shot a glare at him. "Alright... How about this: We both use our Pokemon to weaken Ekans, and whoever weakens him the most gets to keep him. That cool with you?"

Marcus nodded. "It's a deal."

"Alright! And I'll weaken him with my new, crazy-powerful Pokemon! Come on _out_!" Nigel hurled the Poke Ball he had in hand. It burst open with a flash of white light; the light condensed into the form of the Pokemon before fading away. The Pokemon left behind was a medium-sized fish with reddish-orange scales. His tail fin and the fins on either side of his body were white while the stiff, three-peaked fins extending from his back and stomach were yellow. Two long, yellow barbels sprouted from either side of his gaping mouth. His large, round eyes contained beady, coal-black pupils.

"_Kar, karp,_" the Pokemon blubbered, flopping in the grass.

"A Magikarp?" Marcus questioned, staring at Nigel in disbelief. "_That's_ your 'crazy-powerful' Pokemon?"

"Yeah. What's the problem?"

"You're _actually_ being serious, aren't you? You do know that Magikarp is one of the most useless Pokemon in existence, right?"

Snarling, Nigel stomped his foot on the ground. "Are you _doubting_ Magikarp's strength?! Well, we'll show you!" He turned around, pointing at the wild Snake Pokemon. "Magikarp, show them what you've got! Use Splash!"

Obeying his Trainer's order, Magikarp flailed around on the ground. There was a long, awkward silence.

"_Rattaa,_" Rattata moaned, shaking her head at the pitiful sight.

Marcus slowly clapped his hands together. "Congratulations, Nigel. You have given a whole new meaning to the term 'epic fail.'"

"W-wha...?" Nigel stammered, gazing in disbelief. "How come nothing happened?!"

"Clearly, we don't have anything to worry about," Marcus joked, smirking down at the Mouse Pokemon. "I'll just go ahead and capture Ekans now. Rattata, let's go! Use Quick Attack!"

Rattata broke into a sprint, her movement so fast that she passed in a blur. In the blink of an eye, she had already closed in on Ekans; she lunged at him, tackling his body. He cried out in pain.

"Good job, Rattata!" Marcus praised, pumping his fist. "He's getting weaker!"

Once again, the Snake Pokemon recovered quickly; he whipped around, quickly snatching the already-close Mouse Pokemon in his jaws. She squirmed in his grip, trying to break free. The Poison-type vigorously shook his head, causing his captured opponent to become dizzy.

"Rattata, no!" Marcus shouted worriedly.

"Magikarp, use Tackle!" Nigel commanded.

The Fish Pokemon's body flopped across the grass, surprisingly managing to bound about a foot in the air. Reaching the Snake Pokemon, he slammed his body against his opponent's. The impact, shocking the Poison-type, caused him to release Rattata; the Mouse Pokemon staggered onto her feet on the ground, stumbling a bit from dizziness.

Relieved, Marcus sighed. "Thanks, Nigel!"

Nigel grinned. "No problem! You regret doubting Magikarp's true power now?"

Marcus glanced at Ekans, examining the effect Magikarp's Tackle attack had on him. "Not really. That Tackle doesn't seem to have caused much damage. It just managed to catch him by surprise..."

"Oh, _whatever_!"

At that moment, Celeste rushed onto the scene, taking her place at Marcus's side. "Hey, what did I miss? I see you guys found Ekans."

Marcus nodded. "Yup, we did. And Nigel had the idea that we see who weakens Ekans the most, and whoever does gets to capture Ekans. Oh, and..." Stifling a snicker, he pointed at Nigel's Magikarp, who flopped and blubbered uselessly in the grass. "...that's Nigel's 'new, crazy-powerful Pokemon!'" As he repeated Nigel's words in a high voice, his eyes grew wide and his grin stretched ear to ear in exaggerated amazement.

Eying the unfamiliar Pokemon, Celeste pulled her Pokedex from her backpack. "Who's that Pokemon?" she wondered, flicking open the top of the device.

"_Magikarp, the Fish Pokemon. It is virtually worthless in terms of both power and speed. It is the most weak and pathetic Pokemon in the world._"

Celeste giggled at the entry, slipping her Pokedex back into her bag. "Yup. He seems _really_ crazy-powerful."

"_Shut up_!" Nigel shouted, his face growing as red as his hair in anger. "Just because you haven't seen how _truly_ powerful Magikarp is, doesn't mean he's weak! You should have seen him when I reeled him in from the pond; he was slapping me silly and_—_"

Celeste waved her hand. "Yeah, whatever you say. Anyway..." She smiled, pulling a Poke Ball from her backpack. "You guys mind if I join in on this challenge?"

"Yes, I _do_ mind!" Nigel objected.

"Metapod, let's go!" She threw the ball, and it popped open, releasing a flood of white light that condensed and then faded away, leaving the Cocoon Pokemon in its place. "Use String Shot to wrap up Ekans!" Celeste commanded.

Following her Trainer's command, the Bug-type shot a long, white thread from her mouth. The thread wrapped around Ekans's body; the other end of it still in her mouth, Metapod pulled back, making it tighten around him.

"_Kaaaaaa...!_" the Snake Pokemon snarled. He then leaped forward, swiftly slithering toward Metapod.

"Metapod, dodge it!"

When Ekans closed in, the Cocoon Pokemon hopped to the side, managing to keep her hold on the silk lasso that bound him.

"Now, Metapod_—_"

"Magikarp!" Nigel shouted.

"Use Tackle!" the two commanded in unison.

The Fish Pokemon flopped on the ground, his bouncing movements allowing him to gain momentum. He and Metapod tackled Ekans simultaneously; the Snake Pokemon cried in agony, collapsing onto the ground.

"_Awesome_!" Celeste cheered, pulling an empty Poke Ball from her backpack.

"Great! You're mine, Ekans!" Nigel said confidently, taking an empty ball from his backpack as well.

"Now, go, Poke Ball!" The two Trainers both tossed the balls they had in hand at the unconscious Pokemon; one ball managed to strike him just a moment before the other, which bounced off of Ekans's body uselessly. Opening up, a red light leaked out from inside the ball, enveloping his body and sucking him inside. The ball then closed, falling onto the ground; it wriggled back and forth, the center button flashing. Celeste, Marcus, and Nigel focused on it in anticipation. Then, after what felt like forever, the Poke Ball went still with a small click.

"_Yeah_!" Celeste and Nigel cheered, hopping with joy. "Ekans is_—_"

"Guys," Marcus interrupted. "Do you even know _whose_ Poke Ball caught Ekans?"

Celeste beamed, picking up the ball that contained the special Snake Pokemon. "Of course I do! I know it was _my_ Poke Ball that caught him!"

Laughing, Nigel snatched the empty ball and extended it out to her. "Actually,_ this_ is your Poke Ball. It was _mine_ that caught Ekans."

Celeste's ecstatic expression shifted into a glare. "And what makes you so sure?"

"Because I'm just that awesome, that's why!"

She chuckled. "_That's_ your reason? Please, at least use something logical. Think about it: The Poke Ball that captured Ekans was thrown from his right side, which is the angle that I threw it at. Therefore, I'm the one that caught Ekans."

Nigel stared blankly back at her, an eyebrow raised. "Uh... what?"

"Never mind..." Celeste moaned, rolling her aquamarine eyes. "Look, we can go back and forth all day about who captured Ekans and get nowhere. So, how about we have a battle? Whoever wins gets to keep Ekans."

Nigel grinned, pumping his fist in determination. "Sounds good to me! And I'll be using my powerful partner, Magikarp!" He turned to face the Fish Pokemon, who flopped uselessly on the ground, blubbering.

"Then... should we just go ahead and declare Celeste the winner?" Marcus asked.

"_No way_! We need to prove to you guys how powerful Magikarp really is!" With that said, he spun around, running about a yard away to make room for a battle. "Let's do this!"

Celeste shrugged. _Well, nothing's going to change his mind, so..._ "Alright. Metapod, use Tackle."

Metapod obliged, hopping across the grass toward the Fish Pokemon. Not even using much strength, she slammed her body against his. The impact was enough to send the Water-type flying; he plopped onto the dirt in front of Nigel, motionless.

"Whoa, who could've _seen_ this outcome?!" Marcus said in mock surprise. He tossed his arm in Celeste's direction. "Celeste is the winner, and therefore, she gets to keep Ekans!"

"What?!" Nigel exclaimed, falling onto his knees beside his fainted Pokemon. "H-how did we lose...?" With a sigh, he pulled a Poke Ball from his backpack, pointing it at Magikarp. "You did your best, Magikarp. Take a break." A red beam shot from the ball's center, enveloping his Pokemon and sucking it inside. He rose to his feet, glaring at Celeste. "Look, Celeste, your win was just because of good luck. You just wait! I'll be training non-stop, and the next time we meet, we'll have another battle. And _I'll_ be the winner! See ya!" And with that, he ran off down the dirt path to Cerulean City.

"And hopefully, he'll become a bit _smarter_, too," Marcus muttered as he watched Nigel disappear into the distance. Then he turned to Celeste, smiling. "Well, good job on catching Ekans! If I couldn't catch him, I'm glad that you did."

"Thanks, Marcus!" She looked down at Ekans's Poke Ball in her hand and squealed happily. She tossed the ball, catching it in her hand again and extending it high into the air. "This Ekans is super-rare, and he's all mine! _Awesome_!"

_**To be continued...**_

* * *

**A/N: Honestly, this is probably my favorite chapter so far. I didn't really think that much of it when I first wrote it, but when I reread it before posting, I couldn't stop laughing. XD I hope you guys found it just as funny! **

**Thank you for reading, and also for being so patient during another unexpected hiatus! Please leave a review to tell me what you think! :)**

**~Hayley**


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